Harvesting web technologies

Midnight faded into dawn, dawn gave way to early morning traffic which eventually yielded to my alarm clock. A quick breakfast of French bread, croissants, and unsalted butter (Parisians…) took the final yawns and wrinkles out of my face. The day seemed daunting. With a three-hour presentation in the morning in front of a twenty-odd crowd of academic people, I was going to be the unwilling star & start of the show.The underground stole past Central Paris to drop us off in the southern suburbs of Paris where our meeting was to be held. The meeting in itself wasn’t worth mentioning. It’s all work and no play for poor little Jack. However, there were two items to remember. Firstly the […]

London Saint Pancras – The train is due to leave at ‘five past eight’. It’s nearly 7:30 PM and still no sign of Theo. The fellow made a desperate dash from his home in Colchester at six and if anything he should be arriving in a couple of minutes. Surely enough, I soon receive a phone call and down the main hallway of the newly renovated train station, I can make out the man’s familiar silhouette. Spot on time.While I was waiting for him, I strolled around the station stopping at a bookshop (Folger’s I believe?) for I had forgotten a book I had bought for my niece in Ipswich and wanted to make it up to her by getting another. […]

As time flies out the window and into oblivion, it’s time we got our trip preparation underway. To start with the team: not just any team, The team. Pilot A will be JuanLu – no discussion about that. After it is his ride, his wheels, and his initial idea. I’ll be the copilot and manager of the roadtrip. After all I’m the oldest guy, France will be the main country to go through and I’ve got a gut feeling that letting JuanLu do the mapping could lead to catastrophic decisions such as those illustrated in the picture hereafter… We’ll be joined by JotaLu’s brother and whoever else dares trek with us. Our car of choice will be the Ford Fiesta […]

The whole story can be read here: Feeling Stressed… The First Post is an online newspaper I’ve started reading over the past year and it hasn’t disappointed me. It’s a good place to read about London happenings (whether in arts, films, or just ‘people’). They also have hilarious columns on the ups and downs of life in general (Newish Man, Single Life, and… Servant Life). The latter is a riot to read: it relates young foreigners’ experiences as au pairs, maids, or assistants in British families. This story (see link) in particular compares Pimlico and Ipswich. If I had a choice, I’d rather go to Pimlico but in the meantime, it’s soothing to know Ipswich has some bright sides too.

I’d planned to spend most of my morning queuing in August rain in front of the French Consulate in order to apply for a new passport, my current one having been severely battered in soiled soapy washing machine water making it unacceptable for the stringent US Customs. However, sleep deprivation had the better of me and I had to text a colleague of mine – the chauffeur of the day, Afnan – that I would give London, South Ken, and Cromwell Rd a miss altogether.In lieu of capital excitement and underground thrills & chills, I stayed nice and snug at home while rain overtook the already-soaked streets of Ipswich. What a dire August! I’m sure one a many oldies were already […]