The Saturday seminar series

The meeting today was fruitful for the presenters and hopefully for attendees as well. The show got started a bit late. Coffee and other sustenance was slated for 8:30 but they did not arrive until closer to 9. The security was supposed to be tight at MoFED for the seminar. They wanted names of attendees in advance and would not let anyone in not on the list. So we get there about 7:40 and the front gate to the complex is open, as is the main building, and the guard house empty.

We got the 747 PC running early to ensure we did not have display problems with the presentations and just before we started, the AC died on the PC and while getting it started again, we started to have the familiar display issues seen previously with this machine. I ended up doing the first presentation without the slide show. I have probably given over 100 papers in the past 20 years and this was the first time I had no colour slides in a projector (circa 1991), Harvard Graphics-generated transparencies (circa 1994), or PowerPoint slides to work from. It was fun and I even managed to stay on topic with what I remember from last looking at the material.

I did my own paper next (the first was Dr. Paul's that I gave as he was already in the US). That was good too and the audience was very attentive. They smiled when supposed to and lapped up the very light humour I have a tendency of populating my talks with. Then John Jeunnette did his paper and the meeting broke up after a few closing words from the organizer.

I had a MoFEChat for a while with Tagel and then we went Chinese at East Garden, near the airport; as well one of the Chinese establishments I had not yet frequented. The food was good and the hot sauce exquisite. I watched Davydenko beat Federer at the early Barclays Final Tour match then hung out. I met Misha and Dora for a farewell chat at Blue Drops, then hoped to grab the late Barclays match but that never started by the time to depart.

Tomorrow will be one or two tennis matches hanging out with Melaku (no I am not playing, just watching). The second is at the Hilton and I am curious to see the facilities there. We are hoping to grab the final of Barclays at 5PM local time (I think) at Bliue Drops.