Inishbofin Diving Week

I just got back from Inishbofin (Connemara) Saturday, after a great week of dives, great weather, good food ( thanks to the great cooks in the group), clear waters, a bit of mad trad session, and fantastic buddies. All organized by the Aughinish Diving Club.
What else could you ask for ?

Our base-camp, with the boat club:

Boat ready for departure

One of my underwater buddy, a keen photographer, probably looking for seal or dogfish:

Underwater

Decompression Time in the local pub:

above water

Dawn colors:

Sunset

Underwater shot:

Anemones

Dead man fingers

The Harbour, on the day we left.... :(



The ferry who brought us back:

Our ride back to land :(

More information on Inishbofin:
http://www.inishbofin.com/

Hermit Crab in White Strand

IMG_1205
Originally uploaded by TOF2006

Another weekend, only with one small shallow dive, hence the hermit crab in the picture.
A part that, this was also a busy weekend in limerick with the riverfest and the Munster game.

First octopussy

Last monday, I saw my first Octopus in Irish Water. Actually we saw two, in was at 27 meter deep near Scariff island in county Kerry. One of my buddy, Brian was lucky enough to capture it on photo before his battery died. See below Brian picture.

Eledone Cirrhosa

octopussy
Originally uploaded by upskill2008

Via Flickr:
Brian snapped this little guy just before he squirted ink and I ran out of batteries. Diving off Scariff Island, Derrynane.

Cinema de quartier

This last few months, I've rekindled my love for the cinema bis, by organizing viewing of some forgotten gems.
Last week, the theme of the night was Japanese Gore, starting with the cult "Tetsuo: The Iron Man" from Shinya Tsukamoto. To be honest I could not quite remember the movie, and though I understand its innovation, I was more impressed by Tsukamoto later work.

We quickly follow by the bizarre and perverse movie from 2008: "Tokyo Gore Police", quite extreme and at the same time very juvenile.


So far we had quite few nights around those alternative cinema, see below the list of movie we entertained:

• Captain Orgazmo
• Tromeo et Juliette
• Surfer Nazis must die
• The chinese Feast
• Zu, the warriors of the magic mountain
• Once upon a time in China
• Machete
• Clercks
• Robotrix
• Plan 9 from outer space
• Troops
• Godzilla vs. Megalon
• The God of cookery
• Monster X vs the G8

Officially back scuba-diving

That's it, after a couple of snorkels in the lake and in the sea, I am officially back diving with an impressive 30 minutes dive in Newfie, Kilkee down to 10 meters. Lovely day and lovely dive with great people indeed.

To illustrate this some picture of Kilkee with the ladies going to train for the Currach race.

Concert Bucket list

• Radiohead: Dublin 2006 and 2008
• The Who: Cork
• Jethro Tull: Dublin 2011
• Gorillaz: Dublin 2010
• Arcade Fire: Dublin 2010, and Marlay Park 2014
• Joseph Arthur
• Page & Plant Dublin 
• Robert Plant Dublin The Pint (3Arena) 2018
• P.J. Harvey  Dublin Olympia 2023
• Tryo: Grenoble
• Pink Floyd 
• Jeff Buckley: impossible
• Bjork Electric Picnic
• Lisa Hannigan: Limerick
• Mick Flannery (Dolans 2009)
• Noir Desir: no longer possible
• Rodrigo y Gabriela: (Limerick)
• Dyonisos
• Ham Sandwich Dolans, Whelans, 20 year 2023....
• Jerry Fish Circus Electric Picnic - checked

- updated 10 June 2016
- updated 30 May 2019 

- updated 22 October 2023

Self explanatory picture..

Yep wet and cold....

What would you do if your income was guaranteed ?

There is an interesting idea, coming from Germany:

Susanne Wiest petition for unconditionally basic salary ( In Germany any citizen can propose a law if it get 50000 signatures, actually this one got 120000, see the petition in german.

The proposition is, every single citizen would receive Euro 1.500.- per month as a basic right, without any constraint, attachment, commitment or compensation. Additionally people would be free to earn additional money.
This basic income, means, that whatever citizen decides to do ( work, watch tv all day,.. ) he would be secure in term of basic needs.
This independence ultimately would lead to a greater freedom, as you decide what you do, what you want to do and when you want to do it ?

I do have question about the whole feasibility of the thing, but that does lead to the interesting question of the title:
What would you do if you had no pressure to work for an income ?

Here's an excellent article (in french) about this question:.

Et vous, quel travail feriez-vous si votre revenu était assuré ? (Périphéries)

Favourite Pubs in Limerick

After 6 years, in Limerick city, it's about time I compile the list of my favorites pubs in town, though the order might vary from year to year, month to month, mood to mood...

• Mickey Martin: Funky and convivial, great music and amazing people.
  

• Costello tavern: The best fiver you can spend on a Saturday night in Limerick, relax and calm for intensive talk downstairs, or even some beer-pong ... after just follow the red carpet (the mythical sweaty carpet ! ), and your feet will be able to do some crazy dancing on the tune of the Smyths, Radiohead and other RATM...
  
• Bourkes: A new old place, which has been revived last year, very pleasant, with like in the country a good mix of different age group mixing happily.
• Tom Collins: relax and quiet, perfect for a French talk in front of a pint. Used to have good traditional band on Wednesday:
• Wicked Chicken: For many years my favorite in Limerick, small dark and wicked usually great DJ mix, ideal for a round of 2 of Jägermeister, I miss Phil the barman though ...
  
• Curragower: Good, perfectly place on the way home on a Friday night, on the way to the Thomond park for the weekends...
  
• Baker Place: The wicked chicken twin older brother ( sharing the same bathroom where naked men can slap their butt ), excellent to see young new band performing.
  
• Dolans: the place for concert in Limerick, also great for a breakfast on Munster game day. Checkout the Gig listing on their website.
• SinBin only on a salsa night ( as a replacement of Daffys): Well since Daffy's disappeared (RIP), we needed a place for the salsa party and the Clohessys nightclub turn to be a more than okay place.
• Nancy Blake: Well this is a non-controversial pub ( the least objectionable pub for anybody), the classic always reliable, i probably prefer the smallest warmer room than the outback.
  

Special mention: The White House, Flannery's ( the one ion catherine street), The WindMill Bar, Clohessy's ( for the 6 Nations), The Locke Bar, Glen Tavern

Reeling the years (2010)

Well I am continuing on the previous post from 2008 and 2009,
The idea is very simple and based on a simple question: Where was I 5 years ago, 10, 15 ...etc ?
So let's go back in time by 5 years leap...

2005
Location: Limerick, Ireland
My first year in Ireland, and I've already change company, moving from Analog Devices in Raheen, to Intel in Shannon, and with a slightly different job. Goodbye analog matching transistor, and welcome timing headaches.

2000
Location: Clermont-Ferrand, France
Final year at University almost, finishing with Physics and the joy of crystal growth, to plunge in the wonders of micro-electronic

1995
Location: Hauterive, France
Final year in Cusset and moving in september to Clermont Ferrand for the CPGE
First year in Clermont Ferrand

(By the way not me in this picture, but a fantastic afternoon at the top of Puy de Dôme )

1990
Location: Hauterive, France


1985
Location: Hauterive, France
I think this is the year we started go in the mountains (Alps) for ou summer holidays instead of the sea.


1980
Location: Hauterive, France
I think i've got a BigTrack that year at christmas... so sad it got thrown away ( after many mistreatment ), especially now that the toy is back in fashion.


Note this year no top 10 thing of the year, please see Times top Ten everything:
Time top ten

Three things about me ....

In 2010, I've definitely bad at blogging ( 8 post so far compared to the 87 i did four years, ago ) let's try to improve on this. This one came through FB, where you get tagged and have to write 3 things about you, so here it is:

Three names I go by:
1. Christophe
2. Tof ( only in France )
3. Christopher ( by most Irish who suppose there is final R in my name)

Three Jobs I have had in my life: ( by decreasing time length sentence )
1. Chip Design Engineer
2. Student
3. warehouse man / shop assistant

Three Places I have lived:
1. Grenoble France
2. Monza Italy
3. Clermont-Ferrand France

Three Favorite drinks:
1. Sparkling Mineral Water ( St Yorre / Chateldon )
2. Spiced Rhum ( Actually just finished filtering a 2 liters batch ready for consumption)
3. Tariquet Premieres Grives

Three TV Shows that I watch:
1. Try to reduce my TV consumption so...
2. Any documentary by the BBC ( Ian Hisllop Do gooders, Empire of the sea, The story of Kellogs cereals.... )
3. How I met your mother

Three places I have been:
1. Red Sea
2. Corsica
3. Belfast

Three favorite foods:
1. Andouillette
2. Potato Omelette (French style)
3. Pasta alla carbonara

Three friends that I think will respond:
1.NA
2.NA
3.NA

Three Things that I am looking forward to:
1. Christmas in Auvergne ( family and mountain biking in the snow )
2. Arcade Fire Concert in Dublin in 5 days
3. Getting back in the water ( scuba-diving, snorkeling ... )

Three Things that are always by my side:
1. Camera
2. Nokia cell phone
3. pen and paper

Gorillaz Concert Dublin 11 November 2010

I went to Dublin last week for the Gorillaz concert in the O2.



The concert was absolutely brilliant, though i thought at time the crowd was a bit asleep. I'd almost forgot De La Soul, and how brilliant and energizing they could be.

It was not a band performing, but more a full swinging orchestra, with guest coming on the front line, and what guests: Bobby Womack, Hypnotic Brass Ensemble, and Daley (you can listen the new Gorillaz song featuring him here) incredible revelation for me, Little Dragon....

Thanks Mr Albarn:

Ended up to be a quite pleasant few days in Dublin.

Which time orientation ?

Interesting concept in that video.

I wonder what is my time orientation, i guess it varies, sometimes i am proned to past-oriented and other future

A week in TV Cartoon -

Monday: Starting with a French one...

"Les mysterieuse cités d'or" created by Jean Chalopin, a sequel cartoon has been annouced for 2011 along with a feature movie.

Tuesday: Dare Dare... or in english Danger Mouse


Wednesday: Day of the children, and the charismatic captain Harlock


Thursday: CowBoy Bebop


Friday:The enigmatic and weird of Captain Future


Saturday: Because John Goodman is voicing the lion



Sunday: Albert Kwak

Because my high school year having breakfast in front of it, actually great story telling, I was amazed by the themes dealt in this ( rising of fascism in a small country, resistance... )

Ipod medium May 2010

Ipod dear ipod, what's in store for me

Principle:
Playing with your shufle music player
Go to your music player of choice, and put it all on "shuffle." Say the following questions aloud, and after each one press play. Use the song title as the answer to the question.

• What do you think of me, random music player?

Here today - The Beach Boys
"It starts with just a little glance now
Right away you're thinkin' 'bout romance now
You know you ought to take it slower"

Not sure you understood the question dear Ipod, but somehow you're right on the spot :(

• Will I have a long and happy life?

Submarine - Bjork
"Do it now
Shake us out of the
heavy deep sleep"
Hum..... do you mean stop procrastinating, might be right....

• What do my friends really think of me?

Billy Jean - cover by DuoDithyrambe


"She was more like a beauty queen from a movie scene
I said don't mind, but what do you mean I am the one"

Somehow i doubt it ....

• What does my S/O think of me?

Krazy Krush - Mrs Dynamite

"Long time I been waitin' to get next to you,
Long time I been anticipatin' the things that I wanna do,
Long time I been feenin' just for one kiss,"
Ouch does not look good for me, Mr Ipod

• Do people secretly lust after me?

Someday - The Strokes

Someday, ... may be there's hope ;)

• How can I make myself happy?

One good man - Janis Joplin
"Honey, I love to go to parties
And I like to have a good time, "

Oh.... looks it's gonna be party time....

• What should I do with my life?

Digifucker - Fight Like Apes

And i thought i spend enough time in front of a computer...

• Why must life be so full of pain?

Searching - Erykha Badu
"I am searching ..."
Good one

• How can I maximize my pleasure during sex?

Yayabo - P18
Oh yeah !!!

• Will I ever have children?

Black Hearted Love - PJ Harvey

"I think i saw you in the shadow"
Not sure how i can interpret that

• Will I die happy?

Dazed and confused - Led Zeppelin
"Been dazed and confused for so long..."

Oh man, looks about right. Never contest what Robert says....

• Can you give me some advice?

Jack in the Green - Jethro Tull
"Have you seen Jack-In-The-Green?
With his long tail hanging down.
He sits quietly under every tree --"

May be i should spend more time in the forest :D

• What do you think happiness is?

I'am only sleeping - THe Beatles

"When I wake up early in the morning,
Lift my head, I'm still yawning
When I'm in the middle of a dream
Stay in bed, float up stream "

Not sure daydreaming sound right....

• Do you have any advice to give over the next few hours/days?

Hunting for witches - Block Party
"i'm sitting on the roof of my house
With a shotgun and a six pack of beer"

the 6 pack beer sounds a good idea, going with a shotgun in the street of Limerick not so much


Better than any medium, at least cheaper.

A Week in Music - ww14-2010

Monday:Dynamic start for the week
Franz Ferdinand - Aug Acsfe


Tuesday: Just after escaping a snow tempest on the Shannon-Limerick road.
P J Harvey - A place called home


Wednesday: I like to watch thing on TV ( especially Ms Dahl cooking and other BBC2 wonders)
Lou Reed - Sattelite of love


Thursday: I'm high as a kite, I just might, stop to check you out
Violent Femmes - Blister in the sun


Friday: Oh Baby let's go down tonight....
Ben Harper - Sexual Healing


Saturday: Two French groups (Dyonisos and Louise Attaque) covering a Blur song



Sunday: Reversing from yesterday, Anthrax covering a mythic French song "Antisocial"

Revoir Clermont....

Spend a week back in France, and use a day to go back to Clermont, walking back to memory lane.

Walking errantly through the small streets...

Discovering old sculptures on the wall...

Finding even poseidon...

Remembering what a proper cinema is, with an interesting choice...

In display that day: "A Serious Man" the ferocious latest Cohen, "A Single Man", ....

Passing in Vercingetorix shadow...

Seeing the cathedral.

And finally re-discovering the beauty of the Lecoq garden...

So me......

Procrastination from Johnny Kelly on Vimeo.

Lego Time Lapse Construction - 1

Lego Time Lapse Construction. from Christophe G on Vimeo.

2009 - A summary, top ten things....

A summary of the 2009 year in picture.



And to get in line with the annual top ten from Time, here's my personal top ten for 2009.

• Movie: Pixar Up
  The 10 first minutes are absolutely fantastic in term of story telling. And I got my quote of the year: "I hid under your porch, because I love you"....


• Galway Volvo Ocean Race
  In June, the Volvo Ocean Race visited Galway, fantastic atmosphere in town.
  
  


• Halloween in Mickey Martin
  
  One of the best party of the year.
  


• Irish seals
  2009, will be the year where I saw most seals, the first one were down in Cork in Union Hall basking in early march/april
  Then we saw one or 2 venturing regularly near Kilkee.
  
  


• 90 years ago, my granddad was born, just had to celebrate his birthday.
  
  


• Concert: Mick Flannery in Dolans
  
  


• Snorkel with Dolphin in Milton Malbay
  On of the most amazing encounter in the sea, as i was training for duck diving in Miltown Malbay, a curious dolphin came to see what i was doing...
  


• PS3 Game: Assassins Creed 2
  Finished it but still addicted to that game by now... have to wait for the third installment, now.
  


• Obama election / French politics
  Big hope from the USA with Obama election, and at the same time in France... the left wing are left arguing between themselves in front of a media omnipresent president.
  


• ASM 10th final... lost again....
  No comment. Congratulations to Perpignan.
  
  
  Demie_Finale_ASM_ST
  Uploaded by asm. - Basketball, baseball, pro wrestling and more sports videos.
  
  

Top ten Movies seen in 2009
1. Inglorious Bastard - Q.Tarantino
2. Up - Pete Docter / Pixar
3. Moon - Duncan Jones
4. (500) days of summer - Marc Webb
5. District 9 - Neill Blomkamp
6. The Wrestler - D.Arronofsky
7. Vicky Cristina Barcelona - Woody Allen
8. Fantastic Mr Fox - Wes Anderson
9. Where the wild things are - Spike Jonze
10. The Ugly Truth - Robert Luketic

Additinal interesting movies:
Bolt - B.Howard/C.Williams/Disney
The Men who Stare at goats - ??
A Serious Man - Cohen
Waltz with Bashir - Ari Folman
The imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus - Terry Gilliam

Lisa <3

An additional interview done in Limerick:

Sarah Lynch interviewing Lisa Hannigan for "I Love Limerick" from Dominik Kosicki on Vimeo.

Reeling the years (2009)

Following the post from last year, let's make that a yearly tradition.

The idea is very simple and based on a simple question: Where was i 5 years ago, 10, 15 ...etc ?
So let's go back in time by 5 years leap...

2004
Location: Grenoble, France

My last year, in Grenoble, a very strange year indeed, between "successful" promotion at work ( project and people management ), both great and tumultuous friendship moments... anyway that's the year I've decided i had to leave my job in Grenoble, and go abroad to see if things are different; at the time I had no idea of the country I would end up.

1999
Location: Clermont-Ferrand, France

In Auvergne, studying physics in Blaise Pascal University. Spending lots of time hanging out in cinemas and most notably in the Short movie festival.

1994
Location: Hauterive, France / Lycee Presles, Cusset
Failing the Baccalauréat

1989
Location: Hauterive, France / College Victor Hugo, Saint Yorre
I was not in Berlin for the wall fall.

1984
Location: Hauterive, France / Ecole primaire
France is winning the UEFA Euro_1984, and guess what everybody playing soccer, in the recreational area.
My parents now owns the local shop in the village.

1979
I am no longer the only kid in the house, as my brother just born in March, we're still living in my grand father house in Hauterive, Allier, France.

Xmas ... playmol time

Les Arts Deco proposent actuellement une exposition sur Playmobil

www.lesartsdecoratifs.fr il etait une fois playmobil/

Je vous recommande de jeter un oeil sur les vieilles pubs Playmo....

How to make Babies

How to Make a Baby from Cassidy Curtis on Vimeo.

I love Vimeo :)

Halloween Dive 09

Underwater Kilkee - 1 from Christophe G on Vimeo.

Before Saturday night part, i went to Kilkee do a bit of diving with Tomas, a small one from the pier, mainly so he can test his new dry suit.
Interesting, and i've been able to play around with the video setting on my camera :)


Songs of the Week:
- Octopus Garden (The Beatles), I am rediscovering the Beatles, and on that one had to agree with Summer, this is one of their best song.
- Heartbeats - The Knife
- You can go your own way - Fleetwood Mac
- Seeing Things - Zero7

Halloween 2009

Mickey Martin Halloween party brilliant as every year



And Mister Pumpkin was there....


....
see you next year

Pixar - Up Up.....

Just saw last night the latest Pixar UP. I know it's late, the Irish release is way behind the continental Europe one or the USA - actually the DVD is up for sale next month in the states, I can't really figure out why there is so much delay in Ireland ( off course the market is very small, but it's quite close from UK... )

As usual for Pixar, it's a very moving and great story, and so much focus is put on the characters, to enhance empathy. Technically, there is nothing to say, it's really on the story and the characters that the Pixar team is nailing it down.



Oh and i've seen in 3D, but it not used a lot in the movie, i think Toy Story 3 will make a lot more use of the technology:

Just have to wait 2010.
And there is more coming in 2011/2012 with "Newt" and "The Bear an the Bow", but i am not really looking forward to the follow on to Cars, as it's for me not the best pixar by far.



List of movies i am looking forward in the next upcoming months:
- Where the wild things Are by Spike Jonze ( see New York Times Article )
- The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus by Terry Gillian.
- A Serious Man by the Cohen Brothers
- Ponyo by the sea by H.Miyazaki
- Whip it by Drew Barrymore
- The princess and the frog ... another Disney

Moving (on)

In the process of moving my stuff to the new appartment, the pirates have already been transferred:


and are now gently settling in...


though some are not very happy about the change...


the smaller ones especially

Week End Summary - 20090906

Movie of the WE
(500) days of Summer


Good comedy about an hopeless romantic :o, and as so rightly said this is not a love story, but it has brilliant ideas.

Things I learned this weekend
5. I've got concentration issues.... should I blame internet ????
4. Edinburgh seems to be a nice city to live in, and there is a bar called the Tass ( like the french word cup )
3. The last and only other time a team won four Senior All Ireland in a row was in the fourties (Cork at the time)
2. There is stuff I know but which keeps surprising me, like Winter can start early in Ireland... here we go for the real dark rainy months...
1. Loads about myself, other interesting people, and how wrong i can sometimes be.

Songs of the week end
- Mick Flannery "I wish you well"
- Hall & Oakes "You make my dreams come true"
- Simon & Garfunkel "Bookends"
- The Smiths "There is a light that never goes out"
Take me out tonight....
- The Eagles "Take it easy"

And an interesting blog about expat experience: Lyonnaise in Vancouver

Mick Flannery - Concert

Last friday i went to Mick Flannery concert in Dolans, brilliant act.



The Cork man himself


.
.
.


And just for the pleasure, i am adding one of his song accompanied by Lisa Hannigan:

Top 5 things I learned this Weekend

Top 5 Things I Learned This Weekend

5. A movie with Matthew McConaughey must contains a scene where is shirt is off, bad (Sahara) or good (How to loose a guy in ten days)
4. I should not trust my horoscope, even the Chinese one, and it's funny to see that my French horoscope is completely different from my English and at the same time both are completely wrong.
3. Irish radio show are brilliant, a full hour of Radiohead on Sunday night (great)
2. I am curiously incredibly productive on Saturday and Sunday early morning, when left alone.
1. I am proportionally more inclined to procrastination on Sunday evening.....

15 books - 15 minutes

Rules: Don't take too long to think about it. List 15 books you've read that will always stick with you. They should be the first 15 you can recall in no more than 15 minutes.

1. Lost Souls - Poppy Z.Brite
2. American Gods - Neil Gaiman
3. The Foundation Cycle - Isaac Asimov
4. Lancelot ou Le chevalier a la charette - Chrétien de Troyes
5. Robur le conquerant - Jules vernes
6. Truismes / Bref Sejours chez les vivants - Marie Darrieussecq
7. Poems ( Down By the Salley Gardens, my love.... ) - W.B.Yeats
8. MacBeth - W. Shakespeare
9. Sur le fleuve Amour - Joseph Delteil
10. Ailleurs - Henri Michaux
11. The Man in the high Castle - Philip K. Dick
12. Vies Imaginaire - Marcel Schwob
13. High Fidelity - Nick Hornby
14. The Bloody Red Baron - Kim Newman
15. Les Onze milles verges - Guillaume Appolinaire

Hymn - Francis Giacobetti

Great news, next year the Hymn project by F.Giacobetti will tour around the world in a series of expositions.
Giacobetti started that project in 1980, and it's a fascinating idea: basically he is photographying the iris ( and hands ) of famous people. I saw some of the picture, in an article in the French magazine Geo, few years ago, and the images of those iris are absolutely staggering.

See below a sample from the exposition website:

I'd love to be able to take pictures like those...




For your information: Giacobetti is a french photograph, famous for his pirelli calendar in the 1970, and for directing Emmanuelle 2.

5 movies for a desert Island

Imagine you're alone on a deserted Island, with a DVD player and 5 movies.... on a rainy days what movies would you bring with you and why ?

1. Monthy Python Holy Grail
To keep the moral up, a bit of laugh, can be watch over and over again... especially to hear french swearing (Your mother was a hamster and your father smelt of elderberries! )


2. Chung King Express (Wong Kar Wai)
A romantic stylistic movie, because i fall in love with Faye everytime i watch the movie.

(Full Movie can be seen there, and Quentin Tarantino talks about the movie here)

3. Mon oncle (J.Tati)
Another simple feel good movie


4. Once upon a time in the west (Sergio Leone)
A classic


5. MegaVixens by Russ Meyer
Alone, on an island, migt rise some tension, so here's the solution, more cartoonish than real erotic stuff.


Surprisingly, i did not put any pixar movie, nor Kubrick ....
Note: Based on a French Article on Ecran Large.