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yay, working WiFi!
Apr. 13th, 2010 08:56 pmI finally managed to get back on line today, now to see if I can remember what I've been up to while off line...
Sunday: Got up and went out to the airport. Cleared security and settled down with the computer and worked a bit more preparing slides for my talk at the confrence. Shut down with just enough time to spare to run to the loo before the scheduled boarding time. Got back from that necessary errand, and they weren't boarding. I asked at the desk and was told "they only just landed". Ok. Sit down and wait a bit. After a while decided I may as well do some yoga.
A good half an hour later noticed some people talking with the gate and being handed things, so wandered over and discovered that the airline (Air France) provides passengers with coupons good for a drink at the bar if their flight is delayed. Being a water drinker, and having a full Camelbak with me, I decided not to bother. Asked if she had an idea of timing--should I turn my computer back on? She said she didn't know, it could be five minutes, or could be much longer. So I read for a while, and eventually we boarded the plane. Pity they couldn't announce the delay sooner--I'd have kept working. Oh well. I did sent a text message to my couch surfing host to let him know that the flight was delayed.
The plane was the cutest little thing--just wide enough to have one passenger on one side of the isle, and two on the other. I could stand up straight in it, but if I'd have been about three inches taller I'd have had to bend. (One of my colleagues caught that flight the day before and said that he couldn't stand up straight on the plane.) It was a cloudy day, so no Alps view this time, but the flight was nice and smooth, and I even got a nap. (Needed it after shorting myself on sleep working the week before flying.)
Once I was off the plane and on board the bus I sent a new text message to my host letting him know I was on the way, and he replied saying that he was relaxing on the river, and gave me directions on how to find the group. This has to be one of the best things about couchsurfing. If I had opted to stay in a hotel, like most of the other conference attendees, I wouldn't have been able to wander down to the river which wends its way through Toulouse on a lovely Sunday evening and join a group of people (exchanging the ritual kisses on the cheek) and be offered a beer. (No, I didn't actually accept, not being a beer drinker, but it was nice that they offered.)
After a pleasant visit we scattered and my host took me back to the home he shares with several flat-mates. My, it is a beautiful place! The back garden is enchanting, and the "granite" counter top is lovely. He had some errands to run that evening, so I worked more on my speech.
Monday I got up and walked the short way back to the local metro station and attempted to check out one of the city bikes. The machine will speak English, and it did accept my bank card. However, when it claimed to be printing a receipt, which is needed to actually obtain the bike, nothing came out. So I decided to walk to the conference. GoogleMaps claimed it would be 1 hour, 20 minutes to walk, and, as it turned out, that is how long it took me. However, I took a slightly more direct route--I followed the path it suggested up to the point where it wanted me to cross the canal. From there I simply followed the bike path along the canal to the conference site. I was only 15 minutes late, so if I hadn't have spent 30 minutes trying to check out a bike, I'd have been on time.
Monday's talks were on topics which are not very related to my research, so while I felt bad to be spending more attention on my computer screen, where I was finishing up my own talk, I also didn't feel crushed to be missing something relevant to what I'm studying. I managed to get a good solid draft done by mid afternoon, so I was able to give the later talks my undivided attention.
After the conference I tried the nearby bike station, and this time it worked, so I peddled home. Riding an upright again really makes me miss my recumbent trike! I hope that the new wheel (to replace the one damaged in shipping) arrives soon, so that I can ride it again. The canal path is lovely, and it is really a pleasant trip.
Monday evening I joined my host at a local venue. It is an old, pretty, church, which is now host on Monday evenings to a variety of different entertainments. They offer food (only 3 Euros for dinner!) to go with the entertainment. When we arrived there was a man standing on a podium doing a reading of some sort. Since it was in French I have no idea what it was, but it probably wasn't humour, since the audience wasn't laughing, but instead sitting in respectful silence.
We waited in the crowd at the bar by the entrance while he read, and when he finished and the applause started the guys behind the bar finally started taking orders again, and my host was able to purchase the tickets to get his food. (It was too late at night for me to be hungry.) While we waited I saw a few people smoking, but was delighted to note that with the ceiling so very high and the fresh air coming in the door every time people opened it I couldn't actually smell the smoke. Therefore I was willing to stay. We then found a table near the stage and sat down and talked until the next act was introduced. A group of eleven women who sang for us, accompanied by another playing an accordion. They were lovely, and I very much enjoyed it (fortunately, I'm rather used to not understanding the words to songs, after years in the SCA).
Alas, over time the smoke managed to get thick enough to descend all the way down to floor level (the ceiling was at least three times as high as the narrow width of the room), and eventually I had to leave. Fortunately, I was able to shower and wash the smell out of my hair, and I left my clothes outside in the garden overnight, by which time they aired out enough that I was willing to bring them back in again.
My host went back out to another gathering, but I opted to stay in, do my yoga, and get ready for bed. In the process I succeeded in uninstalling my wireless, so that the next time my computer turned on it re-installed it, without whatever issues it had been having, and I could finally see wireless networks again. I couldn't actually access any just then though, since my host was out, and I didn't have a password.
Tuesday (today) I succeeded in checking out a bike on my first try, and had a lovely ride in. Spent the morning attending interesting talks, one of which actually inspired an interest in a possible future research direction. During lunch I obtained the password to log into the internet provided to us conference attendees, and, Since I happen to know one of the co-authors of the above mentioned paper (way down on the list) I sent him an e-mail asking about it. It turns out that the research team there recently lost someone to death, so he advises waiting till they've finished the resultant restructuring before even thinking about projects in that direction.
I'm now back at my host's house and enjoying a bit of relaxation time. This evening the plan is to accompany one of the housemates (the one who doesn't speak English) to see some of the pretty sights of the town--apparently they light them up at night.
I should also practice my talk for tomorrow...I fly back to Milan on Thursday morning (the only flight on Wednesday would have required leaving before the conference ended), and then to Germany for an SCA event in a castle on Friday.
Sunday: Got up and went out to the airport. Cleared security and settled down with the computer and worked a bit more preparing slides for my talk at the confrence. Shut down with just enough time to spare to run to the loo before the scheduled boarding time. Got back from that necessary errand, and they weren't boarding. I asked at the desk and was told "they only just landed". Ok. Sit down and wait a bit. After a while decided I may as well do some yoga.
A good half an hour later noticed some people talking with the gate and being handed things, so wandered over and discovered that the airline (Air France) provides passengers with coupons good for a drink at the bar if their flight is delayed. Being a water drinker, and having a full Camelbak with me, I decided not to bother. Asked if she had an idea of timing--should I turn my computer back on? She said she didn't know, it could be five minutes, or could be much longer. So I read for a while, and eventually we boarded the plane. Pity they couldn't announce the delay sooner--I'd have kept working. Oh well. I did sent a text message to my couch surfing host to let him know that the flight was delayed.
The plane was the cutest little thing--just wide enough to have one passenger on one side of the isle, and two on the other. I could stand up straight in it, but if I'd have been about three inches taller I'd have had to bend. (One of my colleagues caught that flight the day before and said that he couldn't stand up straight on the plane.) It was a cloudy day, so no Alps view this time, but the flight was nice and smooth, and I even got a nap. (Needed it after shorting myself on sleep working the week before flying.)
Once I was off the plane and on board the bus I sent a new text message to my host letting him know I was on the way, and he replied saying that he was relaxing on the river, and gave me directions on how to find the group. This has to be one of the best things about couchsurfing. If I had opted to stay in a hotel, like most of the other conference attendees, I wouldn't have been able to wander down to the river which wends its way through Toulouse on a lovely Sunday evening and join a group of people (exchanging the ritual kisses on the cheek) and be offered a beer. (No, I didn't actually accept, not being a beer drinker, but it was nice that they offered.)
After a pleasant visit we scattered and my host took me back to the home he shares with several flat-mates. My, it is a beautiful place! The back garden is enchanting, and the "granite" counter top is lovely. He had some errands to run that evening, so I worked more on my speech.
Monday I got up and walked the short way back to the local metro station and attempted to check out one of the city bikes. The machine will speak English, and it did accept my bank card. However, when it claimed to be printing a receipt, which is needed to actually obtain the bike, nothing came out. So I decided to walk to the conference. GoogleMaps claimed it would be 1 hour, 20 minutes to walk, and, as it turned out, that is how long it took me. However, I took a slightly more direct route--I followed the path it suggested up to the point where it wanted me to cross the canal. From there I simply followed the bike path along the canal to the conference site. I was only 15 minutes late, so if I hadn't have spent 30 minutes trying to check out a bike, I'd have been on time.
Monday's talks were on topics which are not very related to my research, so while I felt bad to be spending more attention on my computer screen, where I was finishing up my own talk, I also didn't feel crushed to be missing something relevant to what I'm studying. I managed to get a good solid draft done by mid afternoon, so I was able to give the later talks my undivided attention.
After the conference I tried the nearby bike station, and this time it worked, so I peddled home. Riding an upright again really makes me miss my recumbent trike! I hope that the new wheel (to replace the one damaged in shipping) arrives soon, so that I can ride it again. The canal path is lovely, and it is really a pleasant trip.
Monday evening I joined my host at a local venue. It is an old, pretty, church, which is now host on Monday evenings to a variety of different entertainments. They offer food (only 3 Euros for dinner!) to go with the entertainment. When we arrived there was a man standing on a podium doing a reading of some sort. Since it was in French I have no idea what it was, but it probably wasn't humour, since the audience wasn't laughing, but instead sitting in respectful silence.
We waited in the crowd at the bar by the entrance while he read, and when he finished and the applause started the guys behind the bar finally started taking orders again, and my host was able to purchase the tickets to get his food. (It was too late at night for me to be hungry.) While we waited I saw a few people smoking, but was delighted to note that with the ceiling so very high and the fresh air coming in the door every time people opened it I couldn't actually smell the smoke. Therefore I was willing to stay. We then found a table near the stage and sat down and talked until the next act was introduced. A group of eleven women who sang for us, accompanied by another playing an accordion. They were lovely, and I very much enjoyed it (fortunately, I'm rather used to not understanding the words to songs, after years in the SCA).
Alas, over time the smoke managed to get thick enough to descend all the way down to floor level (the ceiling was at least three times as high as the narrow width of the room), and eventually I had to leave. Fortunately, I was able to shower and wash the smell out of my hair, and I left my clothes outside in the garden overnight, by which time they aired out enough that I was willing to bring them back in again.
My host went back out to another gathering, but I opted to stay in, do my yoga, and get ready for bed. In the process I succeeded in uninstalling my wireless, so that the next time my computer turned on it re-installed it, without whatever issues it had been having, and I could finally see wireless networks again. I couldn't actually access any just then though, since my host was out, and I didn't have a password.
Tuesday (today) I succeeded in checking out a bike on my first try, and had a lovely ride in. Spent the morning attending interesting talks, one of which actually inspired an interest in a possible future research direction. During lunch I obtained the password to log into the internet provided to us conference attendees, and, Since I happen to know one of the co-authors of the above mentioned paper (way down on the list) I sent him an e-mail asking about it. It turns out that the research team there recently lost someone to death, so he advises waiting till they've finished the resultant restructuring before even thinking about projects in that direction.
I'm now back at my host's house and enjoying a bit of relaxation time. This evening the plan is to accompany one of the housemates (the one who doesn't speak English) to see some of the pretty sights of the town--apparently they light them up at night.
I should also practice my talk for tomorrow...I fly back to Milan on Thursday morning (the only flight on Wednesday would have required leaving before the conference ended), and then to Germany for an SCA event in a castle on Friday.
