Seeing as things are starting to take shape, I figured I'd post a status report on my India Trip:
Immunisations done: Ow - I mean, Yup
Flights booked: Yup
Flights paid for: As of yesterday, yup :)
Passport renewed: Still waiting for the new one to arrive
Visa arranged: Dependant on above
Backpack bought: Yup, and it's HUGE!
Leave booked: Yup... total balance remaining: 0.26 days
So with just over a month to go, things are coming along quite nicely. Yay!
Sunday, October 31, 2004
Much fun and very little sleep
I've just returned from the craziness that was the Asia Pacific Blackboard User Conference. Much fun and very little sleep was had by all. It was really really great to get to meet other Blackboardians, as well as the vendors themselves. The conference was at a resort on the sunshine coast, and it had a bar. With karaoke. Not good.
It was also really great to get positive feedback on the presentation I gave, as did another person from the Griffith team. I'm generally not nervous about public speaking but my stomach was doing all sorts of crazy things on the morning of my presentation. My hands were kinda clammy, my mind was whirring, and I more or less figured I would completely suck. I have been to many conference presentations where I've kinda felt sorry for the person speaking because of either their speaking style, a really irrelevant topic, or copious amounts of waffling.
I am very very afraid of being one of these people. I have a theory about why I was nervous about this particular presentation. I have spoken to large groups of both academics and students on different topics related to flexible learning before without even a fruitfly (let alone the monstrous butterflies that were zipping around my stomach for my conference presentation) making an appearance. I've spoken in meetings with pretty senior people from other professional areas. My theory is this: I am perfectly comfortable talking to large groups on topics I know more than them about. It's when I'm talking to people who probably have more knowledge/experience/awareness of the topic that I freak. My margin for bullshit is smaller in these situations.
But, despite feeling like bolting out of the room as soon as the slide with my name came up, an amazing thing happened. I sounded like I knew what the hell I was talking about. All the words and ideas that had been cycloning around my head came out of my mouth in a way that made sense, and people were actually interested in what I had to say. They learned something new too. Yay me!
So my presentation further added to my already growing fame due to the tech day I organised earlier in the week. It's a little frightening to introduce yourself to someone you have never met and have them tell you that they know all about you already. Kinda exposing. I had a few people approach me with compliments about the session, and few people approached my director as well, including Blackboard staff. He took the compliments a little differently was a little firm in saying that they couldn't hire me away from Griffith. He's still a littl touchy over the woman who was in my position before me going to work for Blackboard. I must tell him he has nothing to worry about tho. There is no way I could keep up with the Blackboard guys. I don't think any of them went to sleep before 3am they entire conference. With jetlag from the flight from the US to Australia earlier in the week and 6am starts each day, I'm amazed they were able to function at all. So untill I am able to live on 3 hrs or sleep a night, and drink a lot more than I am currently able, I don't think I'll be going to work for Blackboard.
It was also really great to get positive feedback on the presentation I gave, as did another person from the Griffith team. I'm generally not nervous about public speaking but my stomach was doing all sorts of crazy things on the morning of my presentation. My hands were kinda clammy, my mind was whirring, and I more or less figured I would completely suck. I have been to many conference presentations where I've kinda felt sorry for the person speaking because of either their speaking style, a really irrelevant topic, or copious amounts of waffling.
I am very very afraid of being one of these people. I have a theory about why I was nervous about this particular presentation. I have spoken to large groups of both academics and students on different topics related to flexible learning before without even a fruitfly (let alone the monstrous butterflies that were zipping around my stomach for my conference presentation) making an appearance. I've spoken in meetings with pretty senior people from other professional areas. My theory is this: I am perfectly comfortable talking to large groups on topics I know more than them about. It's when I'm talking to people who probably have more knowledge/experience/awareness of the topic that I freak. My margin for bullshit is smaller in these situations.
But, despite feeling like bolting out of the room as soon as the slide with my name came up, an amazing thing happened. I sounded like I knew what the hell I was talking about. All the words and ideas that had been cycloning around my head came out of my mouth in a way that made sense, and people were actually interested in what I had to say. They learned something new too. Yay me!
So my presentation further added to my already growing fame due to the tech day I organised earlier in the week. It's a little frightening to introduce yourself to someone you have never met and have them tell you that they know all about you already. Kinda exposing. I had a few people approach me with compliments about the session, and few people approached my director as well, including Blackboard staff. He took the compliments a little differently was a little firm in saying that they couldn't hire me away from Griffith. He's still a littl touchy over the woman who was in my position before me going to work for Blackboard. I must tell him he has nothing to worry about tho. There is no way I could keep up with the Blackboard guys. I don't think any of them went to sleep before 3am they entire conference. With jetlag from the flight from the US to Australia earlier in the week and 6am starts each day, I'm amazed they were able to function at all. So untill I am able to live on 3 hrs or sleep a night, and drink a lot more than I am currently able, I don't think I'll be going to work for Blackboard.
Sunday, October 10, 2004
Thanksgiving Dinner 2004 - Day of Death for turkeys everywhere
My annual forcing of my Canadian traditions upon my unsuspecting friends went off sucessfully last night. The turkey was golden and tasty, the stuffing was yummy and full of currants, and the pumpkin pie, oh the pumpkin pie! Jolyon, Lesley, Alex, Colin, Jocelyn, Megan, Sean, and Maddie all joined me in giving thanks for good food, good friends, and good wine. Well, maybe I gave more thanks for good wine than the others. Here, for your viewing pleasure, are the photographs deamed suitable enough for public viewing. Enjoy!
Your charming hostess for the evening
Le pie d'resistance
Le pie ready for le close-up
Table millings, outside because my appartment is too small and poorly laid out to provide sufficient space for dining indoors. Good thing we weren't in Canada. Brrr!
Colin and Jocelyn. Awwww!
Okay, who hid the forks?
Here they are!
Jolyon pontificates, while Colin ponders, and Jocelyn tried to hide
Jolyon pontificates some more
Jolyon breaks down upon realising the mass slaughter of innocent turkeys which happens every year on the holiday of death (aka Thanksgiving)
Maddie, Sean, and Lesley discuss the finer points of english literature. Who says my parties aren't high-brow!
Shiny happy people
More shiny happy people
Shiny unhappy people
Kudos to Lesley and Jolyon for providing a wind-proof lighting scheme, and pretty too
Spycam... See what lurks in the kitchens of unassuming suburban homes
"What's your toy's name Maddie?"
"Puppy."
"And what's Lesley doing to Puppy?"
"She's killing him! Mwaaahhhh!"
I come to carve zee turkey
Turkey time!
Mmmm... golden brown and full of turkey-fat goodness
Everyone got pretty hosed
Either Colin or the bread is evil... I'm pretty sure its not the bread
Colin Wuz Here
Death to Le Pie!
The consumption of Le Pie
Damn! That's good pie!
Colin gets comfy as the sleep-inducing effects of the turkey tetraheda... tetrahama... tetrahooha... turkey stuff kicks in
Up...
Down...
Ow.
Same time again next year?
Your charming hostess for the evening
Le pie d'resistance
Le pie ready for le close-up
Table millings, outside because my appartment is too small and poorly laid out to provide sufficient space for dining indoors. Good thing we weren't in Canada. Brrr!
Colin and Jocelyn. Awwww!
Okay, who hid the forks?
Here they are!
Jolyon pontificates, while Colin ponders, and Jocelyn tried to hide
Jolyon pontificates some more
Jolyon breaks down upon realising the mass slaughter of innocent turkeys which happens every year on the holiday of death (aka Thanksgiving)
Maddie, Sean, and Lesley discuss the finer points of english literature. Who says my parties aren't high-brow!
Shiny happy people
More shiny happy people
Shiny unhappy people
Kudos to Lesley and Jolyon for providing a wind-proof lighting scheme, and pretty too
Spycam... See what lurks in the kitchens of unassuming suburban homes
"What's your toy's name Maddie?"
"Puppy."
"And what's Lesley doing to Puppy?"
"She's killing him! Mwaaahhhh!"
I come to carve zee turkey
Turkey time!
Mmmm... golden brown and full of turkey-fat goodness
Everyone got pretty hosed
Either Colin or the bread is evil... I'm pretty sure its not the bread
Colin Wuz Here
Death to Le Pie!
The consumption of Le Pie
Damn! That's good pie!
Colin gets comfy as the sleep-inducing effects of the turkey tetraheda... tetrahama... tetrahooha... turkey stuff kicks in
Up...
Down...
Ow.
Same time again next year?
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