Not every photo that makes it up here is picked for artistic reasons (some would say that few of them are). The point of the choices is also to try to epitomise a day somehow. And I spent most of today in rooms, talking to people, while cruddy drizzle came down outside.
Well, I do work now and again you know. Spent most of the day sat right here, hiding away in a spot with no wi-fi to distract me.
This building sits within QUT’s campus. It was the first seat of government of the state, built between 1860 and 1862 and in use as the state parliament until 1910. It is now mainly used as a cafe and a nice place to take the weight off one’s feet, sit in a shady spot and check social media (or whatever). Which is a decent way to evolve as a building I guess.
And yes, though I like this photo, I know it would have been even better if I had centered the doors at the back exactly between the pillars.
In case you thought I was just here to soak up some rays (though it’s a valid reason to travel, I admit), this picture is taken at the KAPC campus, our collaborative partner here in Nairobi. Evidence that much of Africa has totally skipped the landline era and gone straight into mobile. I wonder how the world would be different if Alexander Graham Bell had tried using radio for his communications experiment instead of copper wiring.
Clare has been semi-bereaved lately by the slow death of her little netbook. It’s visible in the background, neglected and dying, because its shiny new replacement arrived today, and everyone at home was much happier. Kind of like when the puppy comes back from the vet’s.
As 200 days have now passed on this blog I have updated the Best of the Rest page with some more photos that didn’t quite make the ‘one a day’ cut.
Must say I approve of this recent trend, of the establishment of temporary office accommodation – offering free wi-fi and refreshments of an alcoholic nature – at several points on the way home from work. Just the thing for the tired professional who wants to marry his unfortunate need to do more work with his understandable need for a beer. The service pictured here is provided by the White Lion, Hebden Bridge. There are others. Any one would have been welcome after a day that started early, finished late, and I still have to pack to go back to Norway tomorrow.
I took last Friday off (see below) because I was teaching all day today. At the same time I didn’t leave the house. This is no contradiction; it is a sign that I do good chunks of my teaching online. The classroom of the 21st century can be sat on the lap, my connection represented by the little green eye of the web cam.
Would I want to teach this way all the time? No, but at least two people today said how glad they were that I did, because it opened up an otherwise unavailable education to them. And that, alone, gives it value.
Being 42 