Random conference thoughts
Sometimes, when I'm listening to a speaker and she starts making the air quotes sign, I wonder if she's going to start truckin'.
There is no greater clarity of vision in editing a paper than that which descends the night before, in your hotel room, when you look at the paper you've already sent to the rest of the panel and say to yourself, "No! I didn't say that, did I? I'd better fix it"--or unprintable words to that effect.
Altoids, or, barring those, strong peppermint Lifesavers will keep you alert and listening during that 4:00 conference panel that you really wanted to hear but are afraid you'll nod off during.
When did Starbucks become the official Hell Caterer to the conference world? If I don't eat another stale Starbucks bagel and scald my tongue on their hyperheated tea again for a few months, that'll be fine with me.
4 comments:
Great points! And I literally choked on water re: air quotes. As a presenter, I can never decide which is less annoying, air quotes or saying Quote...End Quote...
Roared laughing at your truckin' analogy.
So visual and evocative ... my tongue is (almost) burning from all that Starbuck's Tea.
Terrific post as always Undine. (quote ... unquote!)
The first time I went to Starbucks they gave my drink to someone else by mistake then part-spilt the replacement on me and didn't offer me a refund. I tell you kids in the USA, there is no bad idea you can come up with that the undertrained British worker cannot make worse. I will go some way to find an alternative to Starbucks now.
Ink, I can never decide, either, but I'm leaning toward quote/unquote now.
Thanks, Anon! I think Starbucks does that with tea because the coffee is also hyperheated to allow for all the junk that people have them put in it. That's my working theory, anyway.
tenthmedieval--and here I thought that the service might be better in Britain! All the hotels seem to have only Starbucks these days as an alternative to the full dining room, so it's nearly inescapable.
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