New Flickr Set – Carcassonne, March 2015

March 29, 2015photography, travelcarcassonne, france, friends, travelCat B

Last weekend my oldest friend in the world and her husband spent a few days with us. They have been living in Paris for the last six months or so, and I can’t believe this was the first time we have seen them since they have been in Europe!

Timer shot at the gates of La Cité, Carcassonne

We decided to rent a car between the four of us and drive down to Carcassonne and spend Saturday night there. The weather was dreadful, but it was just so nice to catch up and explore somewhere new together that it didn’t really matter. Carcassonne is a beautiful mediaeval fortress and citadel/castle built over hundreds of years and a wonderful little place to wander through.

I’ve known Jen since we were babies together and our mothers are very good friends back home in Melbourne. We will hopefully be able to return the visit next month when Calexico play in Paris.

See the full flickr set here.

A guide to attending Ironhack: Part 1, applying

March 8, 2015ironhack, thoughtsguide, Ironhack, web developmentCat B

I had such an amazing time at the Ironhack Web Development Bootcamp in Barcelona in 2014; it was an invaluable experience for me and for my career. I’ve had loads of enquiries from prospective students regarding my thoughts on the application process, the interviews and of course the course itself.

This post will focus on the process of applying to Ironhack and getting through the interview process. I’ll follow this up shortly posts about attending and completing the course itself and also returning to the real world. You can read all posts tagged Ironhack here.

Who are you and how are you connected to Ironhack?

I attended the Ironhack course in Barcelona during the summer of 2014 and since then have been working as a software engineer for a small company in France. My affiliation with them is solely as a past-student and friend.

How much coding experience did you have before the course?

Continue reading A guide to attending Ironhack: Part 1, applying →

var t; an inspiring coding project

March 1, 2015internet, thoughtsart, code, internet, var tCat B

I wanted to write a quick post about a really amazing project that I stumbled onto a while back and has been getting progressively better with every post. Created by Jenn Schiffer, she describes var t; as:

a writing, art, and code project that I started to teach me and you about art, as well as to create interactive works that may motivate art lovers to program their own stuff.

Since September 2014, Jenn has tackled the art of Mondrian, Magritte, Matisse and Cassatt. With every entry, she describes her approach – why she has chosen each artist and what they mean to her as an artist and programmer. Then she shows the process of creating a really cool tool inspired by that artist.

The most recent post features the work of Mary Cassatt, an incredible artist of whom I was not previously aware, and I urge you to check out the post by clicking here. I totally dig her style, and I love reading her take on artists as they relate to her life. I’m already looking forward to the next instalment!

Nostalgia, nɒˈstaldʒə, noun

February 11, 2015thoughtsnostalgia, sickCat B

A sentimental longing or wistful affection for a period in the past

There’s something about being home sick that brings upon me a profound sense of nostalgia. I lie on the couch, listless, thinking about all the wonderful things that have happened or that I have loved and miss. I’ve always been a bit sentimental.

I’ve had la grippe for around two weeks now, hopefully I’m finally starting to improve and can go back to work tomorrow with a fresh sense of healthiness and vigour.

In the meantime, I’ve been dwelling on the things I miss back home in Australia and even the things I miss back in Germany. I was even starting to think about the things I would miss here whenever we do leave.

'Boot Salute' at Golden Plains Festival, 2012 — ‘Boot Salute’ at Golden Plains Festival, 2012

Continue reading Nostalgia, nɒˈstaldʒə, noun →

German weddings

January 25, 2015photography, Uncategorizedbicycles, weddings, wildlifeCat B

Last year in May, a friend of mine from work invited Tom and I to attend her wedding in Ratingen, near Düsseldorf. It was an interesting wedding – quite traditional, but not religious – and really lovely to be able to attend.

The weather was perfect, so Tom and I planned to take the train to Ratingen then ride a short distance to the ceremony venue. After the service, we would ride to the reception venue and later would ride to another train station and take the last train home.

When the photographer heard that we had brought our bicycles, he insisted that we get on our bikes and cycle through the park across the road from the ceremony venue so that he could get some funny shots. Last week, Eva sent me a copy of the resulting photograph, and I think it’s absolutely lovely.

Continue reading German weddings →