What I did in July 2016

[squirmelia]

I went to Sundown, a demoscene party in Budleigh Salterton in Devon. (A description from the Sundown website: "The demoscene is a computer subculture dedicated to showcasing the talents of musicians, artists, designers and programmers in a competition based atmosphere with clearly defined limitations.") I saw some excellent demos there, and participated in a floppy disk throwing contest.

I gazed at a large blue jellyfish on the beach, and then later that day, swam in the sea.

I visited Exeter and went on a tour of the underground passages, which used to house water pipes.

I made a musical ballpit for EMFCamp! Check out the video: Musical Ballpit video on YouTube.

One evening, I sat outside the Camel & Artichoke, in the rain, underneath a Hello Kitty umbrella at the Ingress Enlightened monthly social, chatting with wonderful people, and then later, danced until the early hours at a rock club in Camden.

I met up with deathboy a few times at the London Hackspace to work on the musical ballpit.

I wandered around Islington, making a picture of an angel on my phone by walking to different locations while playing Ingress at a meet up.

I visited the new Tate Modern building and admired the views from the top, and inside the gallery, I laid down on a bed. I also saw a town made from couscous.

I went on a tube walk from Plaistow to Upton Park, and walked through Beardsfield, West Ham Park, Stratford Park and along the Greenway and through Plaistow Park. I remember seeing a tree with butterflies carved into it, colourful sculptures and a building covered in ivy.

I wandered around Westminster, one very hot evening, making a picture of Big Ben on my phone by walking to different locations while playing Ingress at a meet up.

I played on the swing in the birdcage outside King's Cross St Pancras.

I visited Nottingham and spent an evening making a picture of a duck on my phone by walking to different locations. I walked past the castle, where many people were playing Pokémon Go, but still I managed to get spotted by another Ingress player.

I drank a glass of butterfly pea juice, which was a delightful purple colour.

I visited Nottingham Contemporary and saw art made from computer generated patterns based on Euro banknotes, and wandered around a sort of cardboard town, and took off my shoes to walk across a rug.

I played Love Letter and Pokémon Go with colleagues, in Battersea Park.

I had drinks with web folk at Pub Standards.

I had dinner with doseybat and pyrokaren and demonstrated bits of the musical ballpit interface to them.

I wandered around Hampstead Heath and admired the views from Parliament Hill with my mum.

I went to Monika and Robert's wedding, which was lovely. Congratulations to you both!

One Friday evening, I went to the Science Museum, and rode a VR rollercoaster (with a moving chair), played a drumming game and a DJing game, dressed as Mario, played Lemmings, Monkey Island 2, Street Fighter 2, etc.

I reached level 12 on Ingress.

I went on a tube walk from Pontoon Dock to West Silvertown and then on one from Poplar to West India Quay. I saw bushes that looked like waves, the Thames Barrier, a beach, some pylons, the Millennium Dome, a taxi with a tree growing out of it, and the traffic light tree! Afterwards, we visited a secret bar, in what was supposedly a doctor's office, and then went to walk around the Crossrail Place roof garden.