Mikael Fernstrom

>We went to Carrigaholt beach twice. We drove out to Loop Head and went for a walk there as well. Then back for some shopping in Kilkee.

We had the times for the tides wrong. I had printed off last week’s tides from the web. The Palm Pilot application I found doesn’t do this longitude and latitude, so we have to make do with the closest approximation. On the other hand, after a couple of days out here one tends to start to synchronise, subconsciously, with the rhythm of the sea.

This evening, after dinner and watching Killinascully on TV, we tuned in to Lyric FM. Heard John Kelly talking about the ICO and they played

Coisir an tSionnan! Phoned Sean, phoned my mother. It feels somehow very good to sit out here, in a small cottage almost as west as you can go in Europe and hear the music we worked so much on two years ago.

>I’m back after a great week at Design Sonore. Together with Eoin B and Stephen S, I went to present our latest discoveries on pseudo-haptics, and to enjoy discussion and interaction with numerous sound designers from all over the planet. It was an excellent and intensive program with many different views on sound design, ranging from film to products to interaction design to architecture and art.

We met up with Laurence one evening and another evening we dined together with Davide R and Stephen B. French food is excellent, including the many sushi restaurants 😉

>Yesterday, I had my car serviced. Then, I went to town to get new front tyres. Driving home, it was beautiful. Just as a new car. This afternoon, after work, I drove away from the UL car park to find one of my rear tyres FLAT. So, in the afternoon rain, get the jack out, put on the spare, etc. Then back to town, get new tyres on the rear of the car. I had hoped for a nice few hours reading postgrad a thesis or two, but now I’m stuck in the normal rot.

When things are looking great, life is just waiting to kick you in the arse!

>The autumn is here! This is probably my favourite season. It’s fresh, not too warm. Despite the fact that I really love green, which we have plenty of all year in Ireland, the autumn brings out all colours of the spectrum, including some gorgeous rainbows. You get plenty of soft days 😉 Put yer wellies on and get out there!

http://www.idc.ul.ie/mikael/images/autumnpanorama.mov

>We’ve had a problem with our septic tank for a while. I phoned this guy to empty it and to check what’s the problem. He turned up today with his tractor and tank. He emptied our septic tank. Then he went INTO IT. He checked the percolation outlets, etc…. Yuk. He was standing in it! When he was finishing up, we were talking. He gave me a lecture about the best ham sandwiches he ever had. So, after this it’ll be a long time before I can have a ham sandwich again.

>I’ve neglected my blog. Sorry.

Mona is back home but still unwell, or rather, convalescent.

We’ve examined and graded this year’s Interactive Media and Music Tech students.

Now, it’s back to normal term time again with teaching and supervision as normal.

I’m hoping to have a break, around Halloween, in West Clare. I need it. We’ve rented a lovely cottage. The first thing on my packing list, apart from digital camera, was my Sushi-making kit. In Carrigaholt, you can get really fresh fish.

>Thursday evening, she told me that she wasn’t comfortable and that her lower abdomen felt sore. Then her temperature increased. Friday morning, we called in to our GP and then to the Regional Hospital. By 5 p.m. she was on IV antibiotics and by 6 back in the ward. What’s next?

>The last couple of days have been beautiful but IMHO too warm. The other evening we stayed in the garden until around 9 p.m. – in shorts and T-shirts. Unfortunately the temperature in the labs at UL is unbearable and I wonder what it might do to our experimental results. We’re talking about people testing a new human-computer interface and humans tend to feel uncomfortable when the temp hits 30 C and it’s really humid.

It’s been a good day, though. With the assistance of Mark Marshall we got Larry de Cleir’s latest song recorded and then Terence’s thesis survived Liam’s final review, so it’s a great day after all. What remains today (or rather tonight) is to finish reading Bruce’s thesis and hopefully spend some time on analysing preliminary results from our experiments with soft-buttons and try to write it up before Friday.

>A very good friend died today, or rather yesterday, John Hunt. I had the opportunity to get to know John through the Hunt Museum, or vice versa. When we (Mona and I) had moved to Limerick, Ireland, in 1991, we wanted to understand the country and its people, so I signed up for a course in Irish Archaeology. After completing two years of night classes, I found and advertisement in Limerick Leader that the Hunt Museum (which we had visited, at UL, during our first pre-immigration visit to Ireland in the spring 1991) was looking for Docents guides. I applied and was accepted into the program. This is also how I got to know Mairead Dunlevy – the most amazing, passionate and learned curator any museum on Earth could have. Every now and then, John was around, talking about the collection, art, archaeology, or, just having a pint and a chat. I guess it was John who enabled me to attempt experimental archaeology in Craggaunowen as well. I think he really liked the methods involved, and also that we allowed the public to be involved in our exploration of pre-historic methods.

Last time I had a good chat and a pint with John was at the opening of an exhibition in Castlebar where he had asked me do to the honours. Last summer, leading up to the Living Exhibition in the Hunt Museum, I missed the occasion when John was around, but I think and hope he liked what we were doing.

John!

You will have a very special place in my heart and mind forever. I already miss you. Not that we met that regularly, but when we met I felt we were on the same planet, wavelength and fellow human beings. I hope I will get the time to sit and contemplate issues we did discuss and never resolved. I will enjoy it and I’ll try to anticipate your responses. One day we might meet again, I hope.

>I hate repeat exams. Not as a student but as lecturer. Apperently one (1) student last term didn’t make it and therefore I had to write a completly new exam paper. This is silly. To write an exam paper, I probably have to read and think more than any of the students ever did during the course. It wouldn’t surpise me if the bugger doesn’t show up, hence my effort will be totally waisted. OTH, I’ll have some good questions for next year in store 😉