Let's Make Some Art, Dammit

March 31, 2014 - March came in like a penguin, and it's going out like a polar bear, as we get hammered today with freezing rain, ice pellets, and whatever else coming from the sky. from Flickr http://flic.kr/p/mCMzae

March 30, 2014. Can you believe that this is what I came home to? Yes, yet another snowstorm here in River City. from Flickr http://flic.kr/p/mA1R7i

March 29, 2014. Leaving Tunis, 5:00 a.m. in the airport. from Flickr http://flic.kr/p/mA1tYX

March 28, 2014. A banner day for me, walking 14 km in, around, over and all though the the ancient (and modern) city of Carthage. To stand on the hill, the turquoise waters of the Mediterranean in view, the columns whispering their secrets to me... magic. from Flickr http://flic.kr/p/myzP1R

March 27, 2014. It's hard to convey in a photo the richness of colour and imagery of La Medina, a labyrinth of shops and services in the heart of Tunis. Well worth a lingering visit. from Flickr http://flic.kr/p/mvNc4x

March 25, 2014. ALECSO stands for the 'Arab League Educational, Scientific and Cultural  Organization' and I spent most of the day in meetings in their offices in Tunis. ALESCO is essentially the Arab League's equivalent to UNESCO. This photo is from the ALESCO boardroom where we met. from Flickr http://flic.kr/p/mrXy4U

March 25, 2014. This is the historic Ottoman bedroom in the restaurant we had dinner in today. When they said it was a restaurant in a house, I was thinking something like a Cape Cod in Moncton. How wrong I was! This house was home to 23 people while it was still a house. Now it's a really beautiful restaurant. from Flickr http://flic.kr/p/mpfasX

March 22, 2014. This is the view outside my hotel window here in Tunis. I'm not sure what it is. Maybe a mosque, library or conveention centre? ( Update: cultural centre ). It's obviously underconstruction. But who can object to a giant glass sphere inside concrete pillars? Or aall that marble facing? from Flickr http://flic.kr/p/mkCsK2

March 21, 2014. Busy day in the office, then out to the airport for a transfer here at Pearson en route to Tunisia. This is a view from the concourse leading to the international terminal, which is seen through the window (the high-speed moving sidewalk was broken again, as per usual). from Flickr http://flic.kr/p/mkC9KV

March 20, 2014. This is the events board at Café Codiac. I keep meaning to print a Moncton Free Press poster to add to this, but I never find the time. The 'Baby Boomers Night' features Donny and the Cadillacs, starring Don Belliveau, my French-language tutor. Small city. from Flickr http://flic.kr/p/mfpg28

March 19, 2014. I was running low on gas so I took a short detour out to the PetroCan station by the highway. 'The Highway' is of course the Trans-Canada Highway, and I've spent most of my life living within a few kilometers of it. This is an utterly meaningless scene of the highway - yet one so typical everyone in Canada will recognize it for what it is. FYI that is indeed Magnetic Hill in the background. from Flickr http://flic.kr/p/mfqLtS

March 18, 2014. This is a souvenir of my trip to India a couple of years ago. Ganesha helps me remember and reminds me to reflect on the best path to success and knowledge. Plus, it's always a good idea to keep your mind on the elephant in the room. from Flickr http://flic.kr/p/mfpqdH

March 17, 2014. This is the LED array in the Eco-Zone lantern we bought for the campsite last summer. Today it is easily the brightest light in the house. from Flickr http://flic.kr/p/ma85bF

March 16, 2014. The day began with a 4:00 a.m. wake-up call in Spain and a flight from Madrid to Munich to Toronto to Moncton, ending at 23:00 at home in my own bed, your typical 24-hour day. This is where I had some bad coffee and good parties in Madrid airport. from Flickr http://flic.kr/p/ma6L9T

March 15, 2014. I could recognize by the brick on the side of the building, but I was unprepared for the interior of San Antonio de los Alemanes , which was constructed between 1626-33. This is a view of the ceiling, which is painted to look even higher than it is. from Flickr http://flic.kr/p/m4SgCk

March 14, 2014. Had an exciting day today - the first day without rain in a week, so I was able to cycle 37km way out to the sea south-east of the city and back, including the full length of the river valluey, but also stopped in cengral Valencia for the Fallas fireworks, which as you can see attracts a huge crowd. They're daytime fireworks, so they go for noise, and the noise levels are truly outstanding. from Flickr http://flic.kr/p/m3mGmJ

March 13, 2014. So who expects to visit Valencia and experience nothing but rain? That has been my experience, though it doesn't mean I don't get out, just that I walk and I get wet. I thought the Market would be a good place to hang out for a bit, but as you can see I've snuck in after closing and it's basically empty. Oh well, back into the rain... (walked 6 km on jet-lag day, 11 km yesterday and 12 km today). from Flickr http://flic.kr/p/m3kDAW

March 12, 2014. This is where I had lunch. It is a very typical Spanish restaurant a few blocks from thee hotel near a park I took the time to explore. The food was quite good and a two-plate lunch was only 8 Euros (this included a quarter pineapple for dessert). Calle Bechi, 17. from Flickr http://flic.kr/p/kZw9Nw

March 11, 2014. Scene from the audience in the last session of the day at INTED 2014. As I watched the people speaking in English, and sometimes having difficulty, I thought about my own efforts to speak in French. It made me feel more sympathetic. from Flickr http://flic.kr/p/kZtYhM

March 10, 2014. Viewing Valencia from my hotel room window. I gave my talk today and haven't thought about much else all day. from Flickr http://flic.kr/p/kUM79U

March 9, 2013. I did some work online this morning and then went for a walk around the old city of Valencia. Presentation day tomorrow, so I'm pretty focused on that. P.S. it being the Fallas Festival in Valencia, there is a constant barrage of firecrackers downtown. I miss the big burning of the fallas (which happens March 18) but I'll get to see them this week. from Flickr http://flic.kr/p/kSeJag

March 8, 2014. On March 11, 2004, 191 people headed for Atocha station in Madrid were killed when bombs destroyed four trains they were traveling on. This is the centre of the memorial , looking straight up. The clear canopy is held up by a constant air pressure - I like that, it's like the idea of eternal breath. from Flickr http://flic.kr/p/kSf29N

March 7, 2014. This is a quick snapshot taken outside the window of the taxi in Madrid as I went straight to the hotel after a long overnight flight from Moncton (via Toronto and Munich). I didn't leave the hotel room; all I did is sleep. from Flickr http://flic.kr/p/kSctfH

March 6, 2014. This is Andrea getting Sylvania Watkins's signature on a nice photo of the whole Moncton Miracles team at a team practice today (season ticket holders were invited to meet the team this afternoon). Mircales are down 2-0 in a best of 5 series, and I'll be gone for the next two games, so I might not see them again until next year. So from me to all of you: thank you, it has been a great season, win these games :) and you've done us proud. from Flickr http://flic.kr/p/kLUh48

March 5, 2014. I had some dry cleaning done so I have nice shirts and pants ready for my upcoming trip to Spaon. from Flickr http://flic.kr/p/kKeTdD

Match 3, 2014. Back home after a long day of meetings and such. We launched REL2014 today. This is the home I come home to, after dark. from Flickr http://flic.kr/p/kFkHGD

March 2, 2014. Sunday, back home after the trip, very tired, sleeping early, but managed to take a photo before going to bed. This is a can opener - I tried leaving it wet to make it shine, but the effect didn't really work. from Flickr http://flic.kr/p/kFhR6H

March 1, 2014. Slept in this morning, drove down to Finch subway station, took the train to Eaton Centre, picked up Andrea's cosmetics, took the train back, straight to the airport, flight to Fredericton, drove home, and now I'm typing these words. Bought a Sara Bareilles CD for myself; been listening to 'Brave' all day. from Flickr http://flic.kr/p/kB9xfS

February 28, 2014. On the way back to the hotel after dropping Rod off at the airport. This old farm building is on highway 7 just off Islington. I imagined the days when this road was out in the country. Now it's part of Toronto. I redid my talk today, it went much better, we finished our meetings, and I spent the rest of the day sleeping. Yeah, Friday night in T.O. and I sent the evening sleeping. It has been a buy week. from Flickr http://flic.kr/p/kB8tzN

February 27, 2014. So my presentation today was a complete disaster - and no, it wasn't because I shared the stage with this guy. Internet access was cut off, the slodes wouldn't advance, then they disappeared completyely. But I had a nice day with the people from Canada's defense learning and development community, followed by a fun evening get-together with the people from D2L. from Flickr http://flic.kr/p/kB7M7J