One morning, between coffee, getting kids ready for school and kindergarten, I was doing my usual I stroll around in social media and my RSS feeds round, I stumbled over dina Amin’s Instagram account and followed her. I liked her work. A lot.

Later then I was checking her website and other sources to see, if she ever spoke at any events. I have seen that she gives workshops and thought, I simply ask her, if she wants to join my first beyond tellerrand event in Munich. Not only did this turn out into a great fit – topic wise and from being a wonderful human being – but it also created so many memorable moments. For her, me, the attendees and many of the other speakers (I could write a lot about this … wonderful memories).

She gave a great talk about her work, about her work and being from Egypt, about her work and being from Egypt and being a woman. It turned out to be much more than what I thought of.

I love that she now is showing up at other events to talk about her work and herself. On February 27th she is guest on Smashing TV and I can highly recommend joining this live session. She has a great story to tell and if you are, by any means interested in stop motion and tinkering with the things you have or being excited to do and create something – drop in. Her actual topic on Smashing TV is ”The State Of (Web) Design In Egypt”.

And here comes a handy tip: as you can see on the screenshot above it is $49 to join for the day and dina’s session on Smashing TV. Do this: simply join the Smashing family and become a Smashing Member. For $5 you get access to all the Smashing TV episodes as well as many other things (not to forget that ads disappear from Smashing Magazine). And even if you cancel after a while, the $49 to attend this one episode at Smashing TV with dina mean 10 months of access to much more. But I see, I sound like I am selling it to you. ;)

What I really want to say: go and see what dina has to say (and – if you like – become a Smashing Member). And if you want to see dina live again, you can do this at the upcoming beyond tellerrand in Düsseldorf.

My set of photos of the first SmashingConf in London

During the event Vitaly had birthday. Happy Birthday ;)

⇾ Visit: Photos of SmashingConf London

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First photos of SmashingConf in London dropping in. Today: Workshop with Vitaly Friedman.

Follow this album to get more photos during the next days.

⇾ Visit: First Photos of SmashingConf London

When I moved out of my mother’s house, about 23 or 24 years ago, my mum asked me, if I would like to take my old school stuff or drawings I made when I was a child. I said I don’t need this stuff anymore, but today, I am happy and glad she did not listen to me.

When my mother died a little more than a month ago, I knew that the days where coming, when we had to empty and clear her flat. Since our two brothers are already gone it is mainly the job of my sister and me. And even though it was is very sad, to – in some way – erase someones life, someones trails off this earth, by having to throw away a lot of stuff, there are moments of laughter and lovely memories, I share with my sister. Today was one of the days, where we started to empty our mother’s cupboards and had to decide what to keep and what to give away. It was a long day and I have a very strange feeling after this day is over. I can’t really describe it, but it feels heavy aas if someone put a rock on both of my shoulders.

Of course there was a lot of stuff, where we asked us Why the hell did she keep this? For which case?, but there was one moment amongst a few today, where I though, that I was glad, that she did not listen to me and kept something.

When I was a kid, some of my friends and I started drawing picture of knights and armies and ships and castles and so forth, that we decided to glue together piece by piece, so that it became a gigantic, big scroll with a lot of drawings. A continuous story, which we started about 1984 or 1983 and where one of the last drawings is dated to 1987. Short before I moved out of my mother’s house, we had a pipe burst in the cellar and the paper roll got wet. Not soaked, but wet enough, that I thought I ave to throw it away, which I told my mum to do, when I moved out. She never told me anything and from time to time I was thinking back to this long-time project of my friends and me, thinking, that it is sad that this personal piece of history was lost for me. I mean, I know that this might not mean anything to anyone, but for me this was a huge project as at leat 5 of my friends and me, we were working on it.

Today, after we decided to call it a day for today, we quickly checked our mother’s garage to see, what is left to do here and there it was: my roll of drawings. She did not listen to me and just kept this bloody thing – which I love her for. I guess, neither my kids not my wife really understand, what this means to me, but for me this is pure gold. This is my childhood and plain, unfiltered memories to so many wonderful days, I had when I was a little boy.

Thanks mum for not listening to me!

I mean, I still have a couple of real C64 in my house, but maybe a nice thing and if only for the good memories. ;)

The C64 Mini is announced to be coming in March.

⇾ Visit: C64 Mini

Wow. This is simply beautiful. Watch the mysterious flights of the Common Starling. Filmed by filmmaker Jan van IJken. I could watch this for hours.

⇾ Visit: The Art of Flying – Movie

The French photographer Romain Thiery created a stunning set of photos called Nature Takes Over, in which nature takes back buildings and landscapes.

A beautiful and melancholic atmosphere.

⇾ Visit: Nature Takes Over

Lovely to see that Brendan Dawes opensourced his Plastic Player. I’d love to have one and now, if I find time in any corner of my room, I am able to build one myself. Don’t know about Bren’s Plastic Player? Check this:

⇾ Visit: Bren’s Plastic Player now Open Source

Next Saturday, numerous workshops around the world are held to help people becoming more experienced in public speaking. I was getting notice of these events way too late, as I woiuld have loved to organise one. But if you are around Berlin, you might want to check what Stefan Judis is organising.

Great idea. I hope there will be more of it.