Fraser's blog

Bi-annual update

fraser@pefe.co.uk (Fraser Stephens) — Mon, 02 Apr 2007 19:19:04 +0100

Ok, just for Jo Soliday, here is the bi-annual update. Here is a picture of spring skiing in Switzerland. Or is it a rough sea near a production platform?

From my lack of postings you'll have guessed I'm not doing anything exciting at the moment, just earning money to pay the bills ( ...hopefully I'll escape at some point!)

Titlus near Engleberg March 2007

Bi-annual update

fraser@pefe.co.uk (Fraser Stephens) — Mon, 02 Apr 2007 19:19:04 +0100

Titlus near Engleberg March 2007

Autumn has... fallen

fraser@pefe.co.uk (Fraser Stephens) — Sat, 11 Nov 2006 10:17:30 +0000

Well, a whole summer has been and gone, and what a summer it was!

This posting is really only to stop Wendy from changing the link to my blog to Dr "not that he ever updates it" Stephens. Unless dedicated, I think blogging is best when you doing something really exciting - a good example being Paul's Blog. So, I am alive, but nothing particularly exciting to report.

Spring has Sprung

fraser@pefe.co.uk (Fraser Stephens) — Thu, 06 Apr 2006 19:18:07 +0100

While huddled behind my trusty iBook, researching appropriate healthcare technologies, spring appears to have sprung. It is light until eight. I've missed two summers, so this is my first real experience of longer than six hour days since 2003.

Other news: Wendy's favourite bunny is back (it turned out that I had accidentally deleted from my server) along with her comments.

Just a light dusting

fraser@pefe.co.uk (Fraser Stephens) — Sun, 12 Mar 2006 08:51:46 +0000

Can't complete with the Alsace or Scotland... this is all Bristol got this morning.

7 Things

fraser@pefe.co.uk (Fraser Stephens) — Thu, 09 Mar 2006 17:27:25 +0000

This is in response to a posting by Wendy.

7 THINGS TO DO BEFORE I DIE
- Have a house with a bathroom big enough for an old
fashioned bath tub on legs.
- Get ~~married~~ a normal relationship.
- Know what I am doing more than a month in advance.
- Get fit again.
- Visit Hokkaido, South America, Angkor Wat... (the list is
quite long).
~~Take some time off~~ Work ~~and live~~ a little.

7 THINGS I CANNOT DO
- Understand ~~physics~~ Women.
- Draw or paint.
- Say no to chocolate.
- Swim particularly far.
- Settle down.

7 THINGS THAT ATTRACT ME TO LONDON
Errrmmm.... cant think of any. Oh yes:
- Visiting the few remaining friends who have yet to see the
light and escape.

THINGS I OFTEN SAY
- I dont know!
- Milk chocolate? Thats not real chocolate.
- Fizzy beer? Thats not real beer.
- Suspension? Who needs suspension?
- Im afraid thats Windows for you - on the Mac it just works

7 BOOKS THAT I LOVE
- The Poisonwood Bible.
- The Kite Runner.
- Bill Brysons non-travel books.
(and nothing by Dan Brown!).

7 MOVIES I WATCH OVER AND OVER AGAIN
(not that I do, but Im always happy to watch the following
again):
- Any Hayao Miyazaki.
- Any Nick Parks.
- (Almost) any Gilliam or Kubrick.
- Whale Rider.

Story in the Guardian today

fraser@pefe.co.uk (Fraser Stephens) — Mon, 05 Dec 2005 16:07:14 +0000

In the Grauniad today is a bit about MSF in Burundi. Sandra and Linda visited MSF-B just before I left and we spent several hours together in the Java House at NBO looking like an inpromptu iBook owners-club meeting.

MSF "3D" Animation

fraser@pefe.co.uk (Fraser Stephens) — Thu, 01 Dec 2005 15:23:01 +0000

Just a link to spread around: www.you-are-here.be

25 degrees below...

fraser@pefe.co.uk (Fraser Stephens) — Sun, 20 Nov 2005 11:53:16 +0000

... well, below the temperature I was used to a few days ago. Yes, I'[m back in Europe. For the next 10 days I'll be in Holland on a training course (LMC) and then back in Blighty 1st Dec. I should be on email (broadband even) most of the time now, but the course schedule is very full (we start this Sunday afternoon at 3pm and don't end until 9:30pm) so I won't have much energy to chat.

Looking forwards to seeing friends and family soon.

Halloween

fraser@pefe.co.uk (Fraser Stephens) — Sun, 30 Oct 2005 12:53:13 +0000

Our American friends threw a party last night - the invite said costume required. Not having a huge dressing up wardrobe, we considered various simple options. I did think of going as Guy Fawkes, but my colleagues convinced me that nobody would have a clue who Guy Fawkes was. I think that was good advice, so I strapped a couple of black bin liners under my arms and went as a bat.

25th of October

fraser@pefe.co.uk (Fraser Stephens) — Tue, 25 Oct 2005 07:57:39 +0100

Not idea what that date signifies. Oh yes... Happy Birthday to Zoë Bointon - two today!

And back out again

fraser@pefe.co.uk (Fraser Stephens) — Sun, 16 Oct 2005 19:12:56 +0100

Just spent about 72 hours in the UK, seeing the Bristol and St.Arvans contingents. The main excuse was a 5th birthday party at Bowood house (great play area!) where I also met up with my parents... a lovely day. Now back in Amsterdam on my way out for a final four weeks. Think I'll have an early night!

Bizzare

fraser@pefe.co.uk (Fraser Stephens) — Fri, 07 Oct 2005 22:20:03 +0100

Ok, so I'm sitting outside (in the cold, but withing wireless range) the youth hostel (in Bakkum, near Amsterdam) that I've just spent the last week in conference with the rest of my LogCo's, listening to a danish choir singing african songs. It is a suitably bizzare way to end the week. What are the Danes doing here? Why are they singing? Is this normal? Is this how everyone else is spending their Friday evening?

LogCo Days

fraser@pefe.co.uk (Fraser Stephens) — Thu, 06 Oct 2005 20:59:15 +0100

In the middle of the LogCo days... much fun amoungst the work. Demo night of new equipment, so suppliers, new kit and plenty of alcohol. More later....

Too much food!

fraser@pefe.co.uk (Fraser Stephens) — Sat, 01 Oct 2005 21:26:49 +0100

Alsace, for those who don't know, is known for the quantity, as well as quality, of its food. After a week of sleeping (most of the time) and surfing the web (forgotten how nice broadband is), I've recovered a little and eaten a lot. I could still do with a few more weeks, but I'm off tomorrow to Amsterdam and a busy week of LogCo days, followed by a 3 day "training of trainers" course. With luck I won't sleep through too much of them.