Annus Mirabilis

I think all things being fair, this 27th year of existence would probably have to be the most remarkably eventful. Its been twelve months of stepping out, growing, learning and stretching. This isn't to say there haven't been more exciting episodes in my limited days, but this has felt like one LONG deep breath held down longer than I should have.

Lets see what I can recall...
- Vince visits, followed by Terence the next week, then Merv John two weeks after, hotly followed by Audrey, Ruth, Christine and Mylene in the midst of a very wet, cold november!
- my first presentation at an academic conference, at Human Communication Science network (HCSnet) Summerfest 2006 end november
- said goodbye to housemates Andrew and Jiaming, and farewell to good friend Judy; car-sat for Aaron.
- Christmas spent in Townsville for Stable on the Strand 2006, where I got to be the friendly neighbourhood village snake charmer playing my pipes in the market place to a dancing fuzzy Ikea snake, over 6 nights to several thousand visiting townsfolk - grandparents to teens and toddlers; additionally we did a very random 'alt-worship' gig over at the youth tent, featuring keys, irish low whistles and overtone singing! Thanks to the Frewen-Lords and Jared!
- New year's eve with Adeline along the Cahill Expressway, thanks to extra tickets from John Smith
- Sydney festival with friends Ernest and Adeline, early jan
- Dan Laurin arrives in sydney for two weeks of intensive measurements, end jan
- Singapore for CNY over three weeks, 67 appointments and errands, including another worship gathering
- back to sydney for the start of a new session, early march
- Womadelaide2007
- Fang Seng and Hubert visit
- Eva visits
- Measurements begin with Jim N, mid April
- Paul arrives, hunter and Tets courtesy of Michio O.
- ISMA and ICA paper deadlines! mid may
- Xiaolin and Weijie visit, early june
- acquired a car!
- Adelaide - Coober Pedy - Uluru - A Springs road trip with Wernz and Chloe et al mid june
- Chloe visits, end June
- Hillsong conference, bump into Matt Chern, Adriana!
- Wesley album recording, courtesy of wernz. low whistles, didj and guit
- Arlen F from the NYPhil arrives, and some measurements on contra begins
- presenter for Channel Ten Scope, Science and Music
- crazy preparation for conference: measurements on saxophonists and data analysis
- presentation at AMPS 2007 august session
- 26-hour spore stopover, catching kiong, anna, ivy, andrew and a haircut!
- presentation at ICA2007 madrid and ISMA2007 barcelona; along the way, toledo, montserrat and paris; jammed with the Hang, Didj, Mouthbow and Jaw-harp
- spore stopover, with another gadzillion errands and appts, DesertSongs, and another year ahead.

Soli Deo Gloria!

Hola Espana!

So I'm here in Madrid, for the 19th International Congress on Acoustics, with over a thousand delegates from sixty nations. Its been quite a week, meeting other acousticians from elsewhere, and from other fields. Even the music acoustics stream has been an interesting exchange between researchers from disparate fields like physiology, psychology, engineers, choir conductors, physicists, musicologists, music historians and the lot. Tuesday's special session on voice acoustics was particularly interesting, as I got to give a live demonstration of Diphonic Singing, in the mongolian tradition (sygyt), before a panel of vocal experts. =)

My own presentation is in 12 hour's time, and I'm feeling rather nervy - 15 minutes to speak, 3 minutes of colloqua, before a panel of experts, people who write my texts! And another talk next week in Barcelona, on my main research topic.

Went to Toledo yesterday, and it was beautiful. Quaint crowded cobble-stoned streets barely wide enough for a car. The town's a maze, with streets going off at funny angles and slopes. Toledo's a medieval capital built on a hill... Pretty place, filled with monasteries, churches, nooks and crannies.

Off to Barcelona this saturday, and will keep posted. Pix to follow after the trip. Congress Dinner beckons! =)