What I did in February 2017

Brussels:

I took the Eurostar to Brussels and listened to talks about open source design, augmented reality games, and wearables at FOSDEM.

I walked through subterranean tunnels of the Senne and the Chaussée de Mons drain, at the Sewers Museum.

I stared at surrealist paintings in the Magritte Museum.

I wandered around unusual musical instruments and listened to them on headphones in the Musical Instruments Museum.

I looked at Belgian comics in the Comic Museum and figurines of Smurfs and Tintin in the Museum of Original Figurines. I played a game of Asterix on the Sega Master System.

I met Steve N at the Mannekin Pis and we joined many tourists in watching a statue of a little boy wearing a suit, pissing.

I went to the Delirium Cafe to meet other FOSDEM people, but it was terribly crowded. I did manage to find some Ingress people though.

I ate “pickles” flavour crisps.

I marvelled at the Atomium and walked inside it.

I gazed at different objects made of plastic at the Plasticarium at the Art & Design Atomium Museum.

Back in the UK:

I went to an event about entrepreneurs and then had coffee with kekhmet, alexmc and Alan.

I looked at maps of Fairyland and other excellent maps at the Mapping Late at the British Library, with grandedgemaster.

My mum and I visited Hampton Court Palace and found our way to the centre of the maze!

I visited Littlehampton and ate lunch on the beach, staring at the waves, walked past colourful beach huts, and sat on the UK's longest bench. I saw sundogs: three altogether that day. At one point, two appeared in the sky at once, rainbows either side of the sun. On the way back, I looked up at the sky from the train and it was a glorious pink. I sat on West Beach and stared out at the sea for a while, watching the waves while the sun shone brightly.

I caught up with friends at Pub Standards and it was great to talk to them.

I saw glimpses of something out of the corner of my eye at Kinetica. I saw pretty things moving and swirling.

I listened to lightning talks at Ladies that UX, at Moo's office.

I found meter cards that date back to the 1940s while clearing out the cupboard next to my gas meter.

I drank the Lucky London Sparkle Drink.

I visited Pilvi Takala's The Committee exhibition at the Pumphouse Gallery, which I found inspiring. I bounced on the Five Star Bouncy House! Bouncing makes me happy! I also played table tennis with my mum inside the gallery.

I walked around Battersea Park and to the Peace Pagoda, and then along the river, to outside Battersea Power Station, to see how the developments are going. There is a red phone-box which you can stand in and listen to stories about the power station, from people who worked there.

I searched for the Seven Noses of Soho and found four: Milkbar, Meard Street, Great Windmill Street and Quo Vadis. More left to see!

I ate orchid and orange blossom chocolate.

I tried out having an extra thumb, which I operated with my foot. I listened to fascinating talks on subjects such as recording music onto DNA and then blowing it as bubbles.

I stepped aboard a spaceship. (Well, it looked like a spaceship, but was actually, Futuro House, which had landed on the roof of Central St Martins.)

A robot fist-bumped me on my birthday and I ate a robot brownie, at the Robots exhibition at the Science Museum.

I ate marmalade on toast ice-cream.

Ingress:

I completed the Brussels Grand Place banner in Brussels.

I had drinks with Ingress players at the Duke of Sussex, one evening.

Photos:
February 2017.

( The not so good stuff )