One more down.
Another conference, another poster, another listening to the experts, the wanna-bes, the farts, the losers and the suck-ups talk. Once in a while you get the real deal. Other times, you walk away with four smash hit ideas that leave you on a high, of which one might make it to fruition.
I really want to be on the other side of that dais. Isn't it time for that already?
And I need newer people to hang out with at these things rather than the same chaps from the old company. There are some that I like that will not talk about work or the lab. Sadly, they were not there this time. It was usual company bitching. Heck! I quit remember? I really don't want to hear this. But it's my own fault. I gotta stop the whole identification of myself as the ex-lab member who quit. Ugh.
Got to see the beach though. I love oceans. I love mountains too which made it hard to pick and choose a future city to dwell until I saw Vancouver.
The first time I went to a conference, I was a young green idealistic 24 year old at Utah State. The mormon profs kept to themselves for three days, always eating together and tucked in bed by 8 at night. One, who incidentally was my fav, discovered I was a liberal. 'You would have voted for the other guy!' said he. Later, on the ride home, he tried to get me quit smoking and pick up running. Much later, when I did, I wrote an email to him implying his words had stayed with me. He didnt reply back.
Anyway, whomever I talked to (profs of other univs) at that conference was usually half drunk to reply or would direct me to their Chinese colleague (am not kidding) who either didn't talk much or didn't talk English much.
I returned to campus thinking what the heck the whole point was in sitting for three days, listening to ten speakers a day and stare at thirty posters in each field and coming away with ninety questions.
There isnt any. The best tip anyone can give you is to pick and choose.
Now a days, I just sit and listen and take what comes my way. And wait for my turn to be on the other side.
Have I already read the part about the fav prof and the running and smoke quitting? OR is it my imagination that's getting to me ? :|
ReplyDeleteTotally unrelated to your post: Take the next flight and join us on the beach. :) I've not seen you together. Silk-clad doesn't count.
Junito :). Yes, I repeated it without realizing - it was on the favorite bosses entry.
ReplyDeleteAnd it turns out that if I do take the next flight out, I wont see the beach but rather i'd be holding bags while the three of you go shopping. So..next time perhaps?
Grad school was never my thing, glad I got out when I did.
ReplyDeleteDon't ever get back in Mr T.
ReplyDelete