Eric Demay

• De quoi d’un peu plus douillet quand on a besoin de s’accôter un peu la tête sur l‘écran d’ordi vers les 15h-16h, ces journées où rien ne semble bien aller
• Pour ces longues et froides soirées d’hiver quand t’es seul chez vous à parcourir les photos de gens que tu ne connais pas sur facebook.
• Mille fois plus cool et contemporaine que ta grand-mère.
• Meilleure accompagnée d’un feedback de type GRRRRRCHCIICIIIIIIIIIIKKKIIIIKXKKX dans tes écouteurs.

I was at the fourth edition of Pecha-Kucha Montreal last night. And all I want to say is: I’m impressed.

I remember walking in the SAT a little less than a year ago, the evening of the first edition. In a glance I had easily spot the familiar faces in the small crowd. A single screen was up at the front of the room and for the following couple hours, the crowd stood quiet, listening attentively to the speakers presenting their projects the best they could given the set constraints¹. Going to the restroom while a speaker was talking would have had seemed impolite. It was quirky, like a first date—which is obviously normal for everybody was new to the concept: organisers, speakers and listeners alike.

Fast-forward to yesterday, it was something else. The SAT was packed, loud and energized with lots of people wanting to hear good stuff. They had put up screens in different parts of the space, making sure people could see and hear the speakers and the slides no matter where they were in the room.

However, the most beautiful thing of all, are the new social dynamics of being in a huge crowd. People now fully understand the concept and know how to conduct themselves: you can speak to your neighbor, you can get up to get another beer, you can move around… However, if the presentation is clear, compelling and engaging enough, you won’t, you’ll listen diligently. And that’s the beauty of it. And a few key speakers made it happen a couple times last night: 400+² people suddenly quiet and all-ears, as attentive as the very few that were present the night pecha-kucha was launched in Montreal a year ago. That sudden silence was beautiful to hear.

So, all I can say is: I’m happy people like to get together and learn something new. The word has got out, the concept has picked up and it looks like were gonna need a bigger room.

1. Rules are: presentations are made of 20 slides, lasting 20 seconds each.
2. I have no idea exactly how many poeple were there last night, but that’s my guess. It was packed.

Arbre sur maison, poteau sur sapins: un dimanche sur Chambly Carignan sur Richelieu.

Maisons flottantes dans la marina de Victoria. Un quartier en soi. Elles ont une adresse civique, des compteurs d’electricité, de l’eau courante, des rues de bois et des ruelles pleines d’eau.

J’ai réalisé que j’avais des tonnes de bonnes photos prises ces dernières années et carrément oubliées dans un gouffre numérique. Elles méritent d‘être partagées. Back to the hippopofutur.

I’m sad to learn that not everybody in this world wants to make a difference. Not everybody wants to change things, to work and build towards a better, smarter, sustainable world. The fact that some people lead lives walking blindly and operating without questioning what they are doing, how and for what scares and saddens me.

Human collaborations, working together towards a common and goal, is what makes it all worthwhile, you must treasure it preciously. We are not machines, nor numbers: we are the only thing we got, for better or for worst.

Si y’a une chose sur laquelle on peut compter outre les taxes et la mort, c’est le printemps après l’hiver.

Xavier K-R a eu 26 ans la semaine dernière. Quoi de mieux que de fêter ça avec des tshirt-macaroni et des drinks aux concombres.

BTW, tshirt-macaroni= meilleur cadeau arts&crafts e-v-e-r. Je compte en faire d’autres. Bottes-fusilli, casquettes-spaghetti, jeans-capellini… remix moi ça.