Sometimes it's hard to stay positive...
Sep. 21st, 2000 11:59 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
alexpgpThe networking session this afternoon was one of those gatherings where there are entirely too many people in the room, and everyone is trying to speak at the same time, so everyone eventually ends up yelling. Plus there's not really enough time to get any significant networking done, which was the whole purpose of the event. Jeez.
Then the annual dinner of the Slavic Languages Division turns out to be somewhat underwhelming. Don't misunderstand. The people who organized it really worked hard, and I'm happy to have spent some time with such talented company. It's just that the dinner fell far short of what I expect to receive when I fork over $44 for a meal (plus over $10 for one cocktail). To add insult to injury, our group was seated outside on a kind of patio. In the heat. AAaaarrrgghhh!
There was nothing particularly special about the meal. The salad was fairly standard, except for the goat cheese spread on the toasted bread that came on the side, together with the usual assortment of greens. Among the choices of main course there was rotisserie chicken, penne with eggplant, a tuna "burger," and spaghetti in a sauce made of sun-dried tomato, basil, and garlic. I had the tuna, and yes, it was a burger, and yes, it came with a bunch of McDonald's style french fries. (How well I am getting to know those fries!) Dessert was a sherbert parfait-looking thing.
All in all, despite my moaning and groaning, things are going pretty nominally. I'll have to remember to check tomorrow to see whether I can extend here for a day. The front desk told me when I checked in that there were no rooms available for me to stay until Sunday. We'll see.
Cheers...
Then the annual dinner of the Slavic Languages Division turns out to be somewhat underwhelming. Don't misunderstand. The people who organized it really worked hard, and I'm happy to have spent some time with such talented company. It's just that the dinner fell far short of what I expect to receive when I fork over $44 for a meal (plus over $10 for one cocktail). To add insult to injury, our group was seated outside on a kind of patio. In the heat. AAaaarrrgghhh!
There was nothing particularly special about the meal. The salad was fairly standard, except for the goat cheese spread on the toasted bread that came on the side, together with the usual assortment of greens. Among the choices of main course there was rotisserie chicken, penne with eggplant, a tuna "burger," and spaghetti in a sauce made of sun-dried tomato, basil, and garlic. I had the tuna, and yes, it was a burger, and yes, it came with a bunch of McDonald's style french fries. (How well I am getting to know those fries!) Dessert was a sherbert parfait-looking thing.
All in all, despite my moaning and groaning, things are going pretty nominally. I'll have to remember to check tomorrow to see whether I can extend here for a day. The front desk told me when I checked in that there were no rooms available for me to stay until Sunday. We'll see.
Cheers...
