daily nonsense Tweet

In a one-week late letter from my bank, Barclays, which doesn't explain to which card they are referring. It so happens that both cards they issued me were in the same situation, so I expect a second silly and cryptic letter tomorrow, I suppose. Once the storm has passed.

We may have tried to contact you to check that these transactions were made by you, or another user of your account. However, in some situations to minimise inconvenience this letter is sent out without prior contact.

To minimise whose inconvenience? Mine? The inconvenience of two cards blocked out of two?

* If you don't recognise one or more of these transactions call FREE...
* If you recognise all transactions above it will not be necessary to contact us

Lie, the cards would still be blocked because I did online transactions. Which I do often.

* If you are outside the UK a reverse charge call to... via the operator will be accepted

Because if I am outside the UK I use a UK correspondence address OR I'm able to read it from a distance, magically. So on and so forth. It all ended well, with apologies.

ayyy, my shapely legs! Tweet

Sexy legs, originally uploaded by Brusc Willis.

I've always wanted, in my calf, that dip in between bone and muscle, that line that defines the leg so elegantly. I've never had what it takes, I thought. Fast forward to sleepily gazing at my calf in the mirror this morning, trying to wake up, still in bed. Fast forward to my waking up to a shapely leg. MINE! Even better defined than in this photo. For the first time ever. I felt like jumping around. Which sadly I can't, as it'd take down half the fittings in our wobbly flat.

And then I figured it out, the miracle: blame it on bikram yoga and, more specifically, the awkward pose, utkatasana. It's meant to shape one's legs, among others, and what do you know, it does! In my case, it took 27 sessions to reach this point, and I can only imagine the benefits still to come. Maybe I won't jump, maybe I'll fly. And note that bikram yoga is one of the best things money can buy. Even if I had a below average class yesterday. Yay!

971 Tweet

971, originally uploaded by gorgeoux.

Two stages. London, UK

having just had some live jazz after too long a respite Tweet

1. Jazz rewires the brain.
2. It's easier to tell hard work in jazz than in other live acts.
3. I must get myself some Dr. Seuss. I've heard about it, recently, three times in two days.
4. Minh, the lovely owner of the Jazz Club in Ha Noi still has the best mix of music, drinks, food, seating and fees among all Eastern and Western clubs visited.
5. London lacks so many good things that it's hard, at times, to remember the good things it has.

daily nonsense Tweet

In an email innocently titled travel information for your regular journey, TFL explains:

Dear Miss Iliescu, We are writing to let you know that you can receive the latest updates on CHANGES and DISRUPTIONS to your regular journey by registering for travel alerts.

Dear Vernon Everitt (Managing Director, Marketing & Communications), you're doing an amazing job! I can't think of any other company offering to promptly inform me of its failures.

new arrivals: umpteen bellflowers Tweet

purple bellflowers, originally uploaded by gorgeoux.

white bellflowers, originally uploaded by gorgeoux.

lilac bellflowers, originally uploaded by gorgeoux.

970 Tweet

970, originally uploaded by gorgeoux.

I thought I saw a fish. Beaulieu, UK

maple ballet Tweet

maple ballet, originally uploaded by gorgeoux.

Here's proof that I survived yesterday and was wise enough not to join the conference in its second day. I got to enjoy the ballet of the new maple leaves, which lasts for maybe a week each year, and SLEEEP.

969 Tweet

969, originally uploaded by gorgeoux.

Bee view. London, UK

#bcl6: making kickass video navigation, 15:00, king's cross Tweet

Come see the URIplay presentation at BarCamp London 6. In between 15:00 and 15:30, Chris will tell you all about the video navigation of the future, involving metadata aggregation, data in media RSS RDF, and the support of BBC RAD Labs in launching the open source code and using the URIplay service in their prototypes.

Cross-posted on the MetaBroadcast blog.

finishing touches on the presentation, originally uploaded by gorgeoux.

You can find Chris on Twitter as @adrideo, and me, as @gorgeoux.

my nickname, twitter & all, originally uploaded by gorgeoux.

This morning, after the opening, we were sent to separate rooms and asked to turn lego buckets into big scale, beautiful letters. Seeing our letter was P, counting the rooms and the letters in BarCamp, it didn't take me long to figure out what we were building while getting acquainted. Wish Gareth was here...

barcamp lego logo, originally uploaded by gorgeoux.

resident ume Tweet

resident ume, originally uploaded by gorgeoux.

I've got myself into serious trouble trying to tell ume, a prunus, from sakura, another prunus—or sometimes the same? When? Why? I cannot make the call alone, so for now I'll refer to these delicate flowers as ume, and try to hold their image in my mind before a long day at the BarCamp London 6 unconference. I was dead even BEFORE this morning, so my best hope is to not return to you as a zombie... except, of course, the pink promise of a cheezy cheeky zombie.

968 Tweet

968, originally uploaded by gorgeoux.

Next to coffee and cigarette. Beaulieu, UK

new arrival: magenta sun Tweet

magenta clothes, originally uploaded by gorgeoux.

I've loved this plant since ever yet only recently learned it's called African daisy, or, hmm, less exciting, Osteospermum. Luckily, our relationship isn't name-dependent, so I didn't think twice before picking three of them for a fiver at the market, and three more in as cheerful yellow. I can only hope most of them will stick around for years to come, and paint my days with rainbows again and again.

967 Tweet

967, originally uploaded by gorgeoux.

The morning was quiet. London, UK

the sixth sense is here and I want it Tweet

An amazing demo that's worth not only joining my video feed, but being displayed on its own for instant viewing. You can bet I'll be one of the earliest adopters when this device hits the market. Even if I can foresee all sorts of evil applications. Or because of that :D Thank you in advance, Pattie Maes!

On a different note, I'm dreaming of a day when I do nothing but watch Ted Talks.

Update, April 10th 2009: I've found a way to watch more Ted Talks without making an impossible hole in my schedule: whenever I process photos, they run in the background instead of music. I'm very happy with the result: my two activities give each other new dimensions.

new arrival: my hortensia Tweet

my hortensia, originally uploaded by gorgeoux.

I grew up with Hortensia in the yard, and was quite surprised, later in life, to hear its name in relation to a woman. I didn't know back then that it is called Hydrangea, as well, and that no woman carries that name. To this day, I have associated the flower with the author Hortensia Papadat-Bengescu, a Romanian Virginia Woolf, perhaps. So, looking at it now, it's luckily a bit more than a Dutch wholesale product. It's a memory, an association, and the promise of lazy summer afternoons dreaming of Asia, South America, and Azores, where hortensia thrives.

966 Tweet

966, originally uploaded by gorgeoux.

Silence of the pond. Beaulieu, UK

new arrival: fragrant jasmine Tweet

ready to go, originally uploaded by gorgeoux.

Here's hoping that I have better luck with a summer variety than I had with the winter one. So close to blooming, this one, that the heat alone of my stare should have provided enough encouragement. But no, it seems to have a mind of its own. Like its owner.

twitter permeates corporations Tweet

the power of twitter, originally uploaded by gorgeoux.

This example from today's message distribution and exchange is a perfect one because it's linear, brief, and clear: Jemima Kiss, a journalist, said something to her nearly 10K followers about Nokia's no-no behaviour. I thought most of mine, nearly 2K don't follow her but should hear about such deeds, generally practiced by smaller organisations, so somehow more wrong when employed by larger companies, as they validate a bad tactic. And then Gavin, a friend working at Nokia, got the message and sent it forward INSIDE his organisation.

The questions to ask are neither whether Jemima would know that Nokia listens nor whether Nokia would bother to listen. They are neither whether we can influence people to do what we want nor whether we can influence organisations similarly. Neither whether our messages bring value to our followers nor whether we should only send along valuable messages. The questions to ask, methinks, are whether we pass relevant messages along often enough, connecting the dots for others, and, mmm, just how many times did Jemima's message reach Nokia today? WIN

965 Tweet

965, originally uploaded by gorgeoux.

Good enough for Tony Blair and Jimmy Choo. London, UK

new arrival: fragrant broom Tweet

first impression, originally uploaded by gorgeoux.

This creature goes by the name Cytisus racemosus, but is better known to common people as Broom. Only when I found out its popular name did everything come back to me: something very similar grew wild in my grandmother's garden, and she'd cut it to make a long, green broom that would fill the house with its divine fragrance when used. I would probably be making myself a bite by spreading thin lard on a thick slice of homemade black bread, sprinkle some salt, and head to the garden to pick myself the reddest, hottest, biggest tomato off the vine. I'd then eat all those slowly, roaming the dusty carriage road, thinking of things, to end up in front of the partly shaded tall willow on which I'd climb for a few meters to the branch where I dosed off in the afternoon breeze.

All other things being equal, my broom will only perfume the balcony and the street, staying alive.

Update, April 10th 2009: A certain bee has fallen in love with my broom. Every sunny day it shows up and buzzes around it for a long time, frantic, drunk, hungry. Much better than a hover fly or a wasp. All is good.

so sad: barcamp london begging Tweet

barcamp london begging, originally uploaded by gorgeoux.

First I got a ticket by being quicker than others. Then I ordered a free T-shirt that had the option to be delivered at BarCamp, they said, but couldn't find that on the actual website (later update: it got delivered at BarCamp, but it doesn't erase previous unclear communication). Then I was asked to confirm my participation quickly or lose my ticket. Then invited to donate some, late in the day, for an event of many sponsors, with words like 'it could mean the difference between wine and champagne' because, oh, geeks drink champagne all the time, and if not, they like a good metaphor, anyway.

Then ended up on this poor page, calling for a donation only three times. Not looking good.

Update, March 31st 2009: AND THEN I got interviewed for being a woman, during the event. By some people making a documentary. Of unknown audience. To which audience they wanted me to address a message. I was so tired, and so pissed off to be interviewed, and even more pissed off to be interviewed FOR BEING A WOMAN that I only hope for my fuzzy answers to be entirely discarded.

964 Tweet

964, originally uploaded by gorgeoux.

Jackie Brown. Billy Brown. Sugar Brown. London, UK

daily nonsense: watch the price go up Tweet

price changes function of payment method, originally uploaded by gorgeoux.

Function of payment method, that is, on the Wizz Air website again. Not their worst today...

what happened then? Tweet

We were standing closely as I raised my left hand with the keyring between two fingers only, heavy and loud as usual, then curbed it over the tall welded iron fence, and let it fall. It seemed to be a very happy moment of sorts. The sound of the keys landing on the sidewalk in the silent, velvety, dark night startled me. Were we inside, or outside?

I shivered and opened my eyes briefly, just in time to see him shiver, as well, in his sleep. Has it been my dream, or his? I memorised the cryptic fragment and closed my eyes.

daily nonsense: buy your pc a seat, ok? Tweet

buy your pc a seat, ok?, originally uploaded by gorgeoux.

It is much better explained by Wizz Air than I ever could. Nevertheless, just as nuts.

963 Tweet

963, originally uploaded by gorgeoux.

Guided tour. London, UK

step aside, cold, I'm ready for the sun Tweet

fluffy gerbera, originally uploaded by gorgeoux.

Somewhat better this morning and VERY READY to see Columbia Road Flower Market again.

Right after I had that coke. And a lol. And that smoke. And a fresh cheese straw from the Farmers' Market, bought and brought by he who cannot sleep endlessly. Isn't he simply amazing? I mean everyone can sleep endlessly. Even insomniacs, though at the wrong times in the day, but still, OK?

And there it was, in the sun that blessed London for a week (I heard that would be possible, holly guacamole!), that tiny street loud with flowers and plants. Rivers of people flowing away with bunches of rainbows larger than their bodies and jasmines taller than their raised hands.

'Tis the season. And I spotted these jolly crazy gerberas. And bought quite a few new babies to introduce gradually next week. Maybe. And had a beer sitting on the pavement. And the lovely porky pie of the Ginger Pig (possibly the best thing they do). And then more beer in a nearby gay pub where I played gay tracks on the jukebox. Life is grand, you see, and fluffy. Spring colds are here to prove it.

962 Tweet

962, originally uploaded by gorgeoux.

Evening in Regent's Park. London, UK

it's true what they say about colds Tweet

Cure it and it will take seven days. Don't cure it and it will take a week. Here's to not curing it, for once. Another way to look at it, perhaps, is that I'm taken aback that it hit me again so soon, and in a sweet, sunny London, when only last Sunday I was knee deep in snow in Norway, hair wet, jeans wet, and having a swell time. Oh, well.

I felt it coming on Thursday evening and shrugged. Can't fight every occurrence, and Friday was a no-no miss at work, and before I knew it I was in a pub, and then I could sleep late this morning, and watch a couple of episodes of Sopranos, and waste a full box of tissues, eat fresh croissants, filter wedding photos, finish a book, all that.

This cold is very civilised, as you can see, and nurturing it, I'm nurturing myself. Win!

961 Tweet

961, originally uploaded by gorgeoux.

Yauatcha fish bar. London, UK

right before the launch Tweet

wrong character set, originally uploaded by gorgeoux.

We launched URIplay today and my humble task was to get some static HTML pages updated. I guess I updated more than I thought about one page. Browsers are not this creative anymore. With a little help from friends, though, is now fixed. And live :)

960 Tweet

960, originally uploaded by gorgeoux.

In the mood for spring. London, UK

what's education got to do with it? Tweet

Until recently, our cleaning lady shared the house with a family who owned one misbehaved boy and one awful dog. Upset that he couldn't play his games a bit longer in the evening, the boy would tell his father to fuck off, and the father would say nothing back. Our cleaning lady would, after many such instances, note that her children will never talk back to her using such language. The father would say: wait till you raise your own in London. Quite puzzled, she'd counter: what's London got to do with it?

Do we rely on school educating our children? From the number of brats I see, absolutely.

home coming Tweet

home coming, originally uploaded by gorgeoux.

In our absence, spring arrived in London and my babies opened up happily in the sun. Quite a sight from any window at the front, so it is time, perhaps, to wave our Christmas tree goodbye. Yes, it's still standing. And finally brown, which doesn't look good among all the green buds and sprouts. When I wished that it'd stay around for a long time, I should've wished it with a pinch of salt. It's been up for nearly four months.

mom's just emailed me dietary advice Tweet

1. The Japanese eat very little fat and suffer less heart attacks than the Americans.
2. The Mexicans eat a lot of fat and suffer less heart attacks than the Americans.
3. The Chinese drink very little red wine and suffer less heart attacks than the Americans.
4. The Italians drink a lot of red wine and suffer less heart attacks than the Americans.
5. The Germans drink a lot of beer, eat a lot of sausages and other fat, and suffer less heart attacks than the Americans.

Bottom line: Eat and drink anything you like. It'd seem that what kills you is speaking English.

959 Tweet

959, originally uploaded by gorgeoux.

Student dorms. London, UK