My second word for 2021

Paris

Four years ago I travelled to Paris in January as I have every year since 2015.

This is the first year in six that I won't be spending late January / early February in one of my favorite cities at one of my favorite conferences with many of my favorite people sharing many of my favorite meals.

We are far from done with the pandemic. It is not yet "after".

Perhaps next year.

But January of 2017 was a trip to Paris during a different "after".

It was my first trip to Paris since Kim had died.

Kim was killed in August, 2016 and everything stopped.

It's weird to compare it to our current shut down. Now, everything has changed - everything has stopped.

Then - my life and the lives of some of those closest to Kim changed but the rest of the world kept moving.

After a while, even the lives of those who were close started up again.

And so, in January I decided to stick a toe in the water and head to Paris.

I "made" Maggie go with me.

It was my first trip anywhere since Kim died. My first conference. My first time on stage. My first time seeing all of my friends who had provided so much support over phone calls and emails.

So I can tell you a little about after.

It's good to be back

In some ways it's like that first-day-of-school feeling as a kid.

At least for me.

I loved being back at school - seeing everyone - turning back the cover of a new spiral notebook and writing the date in the top right corner.

Paris was Paris.

Maggie and I walked up to the Sacre Coeur and looked down over the city. We lit candles for Kim and Elena and others. We stopped at my favorite Creperie for savory crepes followed by a dessert crepe.

We visited museums and restaurants and walked miles and miles.

The dotSwift conference organizers, speakers, and attendees surrounded us like a wide communal hug.

It was the right place and event to choose for our first "after".

And yet.

Not free

As you might guess, after doesn't just happen.

I'd spent months mostly at home and when I decided to accept Sylvain's kind invitation to host the conference again, I said yes.

This particular conference works with speakers after selecting them. We work with them on their topic and talks and the results are outstanding.

My job, on the day, is to introduce the speakers, make general stage announcements, and then take the speaker to the side of the stage where we chat for a bit.

Even though I know the talks ahead of time, I listen carefully during the talks and often throw out half of the questions I plan to ask and add a dozen more. During the conversation I often throw out many of these and follow the conversation.

It's an intense day where I have to focus - but I can't tell you how much but I love every minute of it from before the start to after the finish.

In addition, I teach two day-long workshops. It generally takes me a week or so to prepare each day.

Of course, there's also the planning for what we'll do in Paris. Like the post-talk chats, we often throw out half our plans and just go with what comes up.

Before and During

Some of what came up in Paris were memories of my many visits there with Kim.

We went to visit some of her favorite paintings in some of her favorite museums.

I took Maggie to my and Kim's favorite restaurant and sat at a table in the kitchen while the chef cooked perfect meals.

After doesn't erase the before.

After doesn't erase the during.

Tomorrow when Biden is inaugurated we begin a very important after. But we have the damage of the during. We have hundreds of thousands dead who didn't need to be. We have thousands of businesses gone that didn't need to be. We have a schism in this country fueled by greed and ambition that will be so hard to repair.

After doesn't just happen.

We've got a lot of work to do.

My second word for this year is "after".

It reminds me of where we are and what we need to do to move in the right direction.

It reminds me of the damage of the during and the before.

It reminds me that the money I gave, the letters I sent, the text boards I volunteered for weren't an end. They are a beginning.

This year is going to be hard.

We need to stay committed to the after to make sure it doesn't happen again.

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Link to the Podcast episode from February 16, 2024.

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Sunday night I returned to Singapore to lead a Combine Workshop for the iOS Conf SG. I had a great time - though I missed actually being in Singapore.

Our running example was the game Rock Paper Scissors so Vina took a screenshot of everyone making their choice. (I'm in the top row, third from the left.)

By the way, you can pick up the beta of A Combine Kickstart right now if you'd like.

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Printing your own zine

There are two things I love about this Rotational Symmetry Zine from Becky Warren. First, I love the content itself. It's a cool idea for geometrical art. But even more than that, I love how she makes it easy to print out, cut and fold a tiny magazine from a single sheet of paper.

See the wall differently

I love this tweet from Brandon Kyle Goodman:

I told my friend that I'm emotionally "hitting a wall" and she said "Sometimes walls are there so we can lean on them and rest."

Dating Detectives

Interesting article from The Washington Post about people on dating apps sending profiles bragging about the siege to the authorities.

Side note that I found interesting - I have friends who bounce from one dating app to another. According to the article, Match group owns "Tinder, Hinge, OKCupid, PlentyOfFish and Match" (and other sites).

Amazing Origami

My friend Charlie posted a link to this amazing Armored Samuri folded from a single sheet of paper.

There's a video showing highlights of the process that is spell-binding.

Testiculating

Gyles Brandreth and Susie Dent have a podcast about words called "Something Rhymes with Purple". He tweeted about a word she is highlighting: "testiculating", which is "to talk bollocks while waving your hands around ..."

Maggie's Link

Maggie is wrapping up her time with me here in Cleveland and preparing to go back to NYC. I've really enjoyed having her home but understand why she's ready to go back.

Anyway, in between the television series we're wrapping up before she goes, she shows me gems that she like. The other night we must have watched a dozen of these. I'll spare you that, but here's Maggie's favorite Pusheen Places that Cats Belong.

Other people's stuff

Third time is the charm!

My friend Adrien talked about his wife Claudia for years. I finally met her in Zurich when the two of them met up with me for an afternoon and (of course) a meal and then again in Edinburgh when we were all there for a knitting convention.

Here is the latest episode of her knitting podcast. She also produces beautiful yarn through her company Isalloni Knits.