Random thoughts about random subjects… From science to literature and between manga and watercolours, passing by data science and rugby; including film, physics and fiction, programming, pictures and puns.
Photography
A collection of posts related to all with Photographs…Take a look and enjoy
Data science is definitely in everyone’s lips and this time I had the opportunity of showcasing some of my thoughts, practices and interests at the Open Data Science Conference in London.
The event was very well attended by data scientists, engineers and developers at all levels of seniority, as well as business stakeholders. I had the great opportunity to present the landscape that newcomers and seasoned practitioners must be familiar with to be able to make a successful transition into this exciting field.
It was also a great opportunity to showcase “Data Science and Analytics with Python” and to get to meet new people including some that know other members of my family too.
An alluring sight in southern skies, the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) is seen here through narrowband filters. The filters are designed to transmit only light emitted by ionized sulfur, hydrogen, and oxygen atoms. Ionized by energetic starlight, the atoms emit their characteristic light as electrons are recaptured and the atom transitions to a lower energy state. As a result, this false color image of the LMC seems covered with shell-shaped clouds of ionized gas surrounding massive, young stars. Sculpted by the strong stellar winds and ultraviolet radiation, the glowing clouds, dominated by emission from hydrogen, are known as H II (ionized hydrogen) regions. Itself composed of many overlapping shells, the Tarantula Nebula is the large star forming region at top center. A satellite of o ur Milky Way Galaxy, the LMC is about 15,000 light-years across and lies a mere 180,000 light-years away in the constellation Dorado.
No, this castle was not built with the Moon attached. To create the spectacular juxtaposition, careful planning and a bit of good weather was needed. Pictured, the last supermoon of 2016 was captured last week rising directly beyond one of the towers of Bellver Castle in Palma de Mallorca on the Balearic Islands of Spain. The supermoon was the last full moon of 2016 and known to some as the Oak Moon. Bellver Castle was built in the early 1300s and has served as a home -- but occasional as a prison -- to numerous kings and queens. The Moon was built about 4.5 billion years ago, possibly resulting from a great collision with a Mars-sized celestial body and Earth. The next supermoon, defined as when the moonappears slightly larger and brighter than usual, will occur on 2017 December 3 and be visible not only behind castles but all over the Earth.
Not a bad day for a run. Although I have nor been training as hard as I should have, the time f0r the Windsor half marathon came very quickly. No excuses, no time to complain... I took my running shoes, monitor and some other bits an pieces and headed to Windsor. Perhaps it was too early on a Sunday morning... but as I said, no excuses.
The weather had been a bit rainy and I was pleased to see that the day was opening up quite nicely. "Goldie locks weather for a run" -> not too cold, not to hot, just right.
I am very pleased with my 2 hour and 23 minute time for the 13 mile race around Windsor Great Park... maybe next year I will train a bit harder! In the meantime, it's time for a rest and perhaps some nice food.
I have been meaning to post these pictures of the Old Mutual Cup test match between England and Wales on May 29th. It was a great day and England won 27-13 after a very shaky start. In the end England scored 5 tries, and despite the poor kicking of Mr Ford they managed to defeat Wales.
Today I was in Hursely and I had the opportunity of spending the day at Hursely House and the IBM Galileo Centre. Very nice grounds and a very inspiring place. Judge for yourselves!
What do I think when I hear the name "Ballet Folklórico de México"? Well, I think of colourful clothes, big smiles, joyful music and great "zapateado". I also think of Sunday TV and weirdly enough, school. I do remember the end-of-year festivals at school, when señorita Caballero would choreograph some traditional dances for us.
I was thus very pleased to see in the Guardian Weekend, that Ballet Folklórico was coming to London, and that it would be the first time in 20 years that they would be in the British Isles. I had never seen them live, so it was a great opportunity to do so, and boy was I pleased to have done so!
They had their show at the London Coliseum, the home of the English National Opera, and it was a great venue to hear some well-known songs. I was expecting great dancers, but I was pleasantly surprised to hear live music from start to finish.
The programme was divided into 9 distinct parts, going from Mariachis to pre-hispanic dances and indeed a lot of zapateado:
Los Matachines: as many cultural expressions in Mexico, La Danza de los Matachines (also known as "Moros y Cristianos") is a clear mix of European and pre-hispanic influences. It is a popular dance in religious festivals in the North of the Country. The interpretation presented in London was simply superb.
Guerrero-Guerrero: The name of one of the Mexican independence heroes; one of the states in the country is named after him and perhaps best known for places such as Acapulco. The company presented three parts here Solo de Mariquita, Las Amarillas and El Gusto.
Mexican Revolution: There is no November 20th parade in Mexico without the mention of Adelita and Las Soldaderas. This makes reference to the brave women who joined the fight during the Mexican Revolution in 1910. I really liked the reference to the railways as an important means of transport for los revolucionarios.
Charrería: Sometimes dubbed the "Mexican National Sport", Charrerías incorporate equestrian competitions and demonstrations, specific costumes and horse/cattle trappings, music, and food. I was truly amazed by the lasso skill of the main Charro who never stopped dancing.
Fiesta en Tlacotalpan: Tlacotalpan is a town inthe state of Veracruz. It has been declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, and the Ballet Folklóriko celebrated the traditional 2nd February Candelaria party with a Carnival. It was great to see real mojigangas on the stage. Even La Bamba made an appearance!
Los Quetzales: A quetzal is a magnificent bird with beautiful plumage. And with just a few movements, I felt transported to Puebla de los Ángeles. Great headwear and lots of colour!
Danzón and Jarana: Once again the mixing of cultures in Mexico brings a fantastic result and in this case Europe, Africa and the Caribbean give us dances such as Danzón and Jarana, from Veracruz to Yucatán.
Danza del Venado: And from the South of the country, to the Sonora Dessert in the North. La Danza del Venado (or dance of the deer) is a visceral performance representing the hunt of a the deer by the Yaquis. Truly magical performance!
Jalisco: If Mexico is known for anything in particular, it would definitely have to be for teh recognisable sombreros, and Mariachi music from Jalisco. How did I enjoy the Jarabe Tapatío, La Negra and Viva México.
What a great way to finish a fantastic performance. People could not be stopped from joining in from their seats. I am truly glad that I had a chance to join la fiesta while El Ballet Folklórico de México came to visit London. I hope they enjoyed it as much as I did!
I had the chance to go up 20 Fenchchurch Street building... better known as the Walkie-Talkie building last week and had a bite to eat in the Sky Garden in the 35th floor of the building. It is a very nice open area with gardens and a great view of London and the Thames. You have to book in advance, but it is free and it definitely is worth it. Here are some views!
Some time last week I ended up having to go from Waterloo station to Embankment Pier... Long story... However, I took the opportunity to take a couple of panoramic shots from the Hungerford Bridge:
I have had this 17-in MacBook Pro for a few years… perhaps about 8 years? Probably a bit more? In any case, I have it more as a memento than anything else as I have a more modern one these days. I still keep it updated and all the rest of it so I was rather surprised to get it out and see that the battery has effectively bursted!!! I hope the rest of the machine still works though :(
