About Beth
I am a freelance writer, based in Pittsburgh, PA, specializing in science and technical topics. Yes, I am available for new writing projects! Chicago, that toddlin' town
For such a short trip, I sure spent a lot of time in airports. I even nodded off on a plane for the first time ever. (Usually I can't sleep on planes even if I want to).
I sort of organized a herd ofcats perl hackers into meeting for dinner. We went to a Malaysian restaurant called Penang (it's the first restaurant you'll see from the train stop in Chinatown). The food was delicious, and the table had a lazy susan thing in the middle. There were ten of us, and everybody shared, so I had a delicious vegetable curry, chili tofu, mango tofu, tofu with peanuts and vegetables, and so many other tasty things I can't recall. Peanut pancakes for dessert, and coconuts to drink. (They THWACK a coconut with a cleaver, peel the lid back, and you drink what's inside with a straw). I didn't have one, but I seemed to impress most of the table with my ability to drink bubble tea without gagging. (I guess that's a rare skill.)
I left my camera at home to save space in my bag. My rationale was "I didn't take pictures of anything interesting last year". Turns out I have another good reason: everybody else is taking pictures, so I don't have to!
Today I packed the lightest I've ever packed for a 5-day trip: 4 sets of shirts/underwear/etc; toiletries; laptop/phone/ipod all with chargers and spare batteries; and a bunch of knitting to keep me busy while in transit. Total volume: One messenger bag that fits easily beneath an airplane seat. Woohoo! The only things I chose to leave behind were my camera, my swimsuit, and a couple of skirts/pants. (It's OK, I still have enough to clothe me for the week).
The conference starts for real tomorrow. I expect to have so much fun I forget to blog it. Wish you were here.
I sort of organized a herd of
I left my camera at home to save space in my bag. My rationale was "I didn't take pictures of anything interesting last year". Turns out I have another good reason: everybody else is taking pictures, so I don't have to!
Today I packed the lightest I've ever packed for a 5-day trip: 4 sets of shirts/underwear/etc; toiletries; laptop/phone/ipod all with chargers and spare batteries; and a bunch of knitting to keep me busy while in transit. Total volume: One messenger bag that fits easily beneath an airplane seat. Woohoo! The only things I chose to leave behind were my camera, my swimsuit, and a couple of skirts/pants. (It's OK, I still have enough to clothe me for the week).
The conference starts for real tomorrow. I expect to have so much fun I forget to blog it. Wish you were here.