Conference close

Conference close At the conference dinner, besides an acappela group reminiscent of the tralalero genovese with which we were entertained at XP2003, a choir of Finns, scorning accompaniment, came and shouted at us. (See Hubert Baumeister’s pic.) The bar manager at my favourite pub in the town square tells me this is a local group, usually booked up two years ahead. They gave us, among other items, an article from the EU Maastricht Treaty, and “The Star-Spangled Banner”. We were stunned and then enthusiastic.

On the last afternoon of the Oulu conference Eric Lundh made a brief but forceful attack on the assumption that agile development and formal methods are necessarily opposed, just in time to prepare me to meet Emine, who is preparing a doctoral thesis on formal methods at the University of York.

A new and impressive speaker on the last day of the conference: Jack Järkvik whose height, dry wit and mop of hair seemed uncannily reminiscent of KEI. We look forward to hearing more of him.

If I lived through the winters as described by Artop, an Oulu teacher I met at the town’s river beach, I would not want to sleep for the three summer months. Apparently other share this sentiment, and by autumn are slightly crazed with dropping by their neighbours at 3am for more coffee. I’m reacquiring a taste for Finnish humour. A compliment from Artop: “you’re not stupid enough to be happy.”

Meanwhile insomnia runs wild here. The sun will set on 27 July. Until then we shall stagger on with snatched hours of sleep and more excellent Finnish coffee. Or head south. Could always do that.