Jean turned to Dave and said, "The Earth really moved for me."
Dave yawned, took this as a good sign, and went back to sleep.
The next morning, the news reported biggest earthquake in England since 1984.
Gutted.
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Thanks
Dave had never been to Exeter before, right down in the south of England, tucked away. He'd never been anywhere in England south of London before. It was a fairly long trip. 6 hours, 3 trains, 2 of them packed to busting point, though luckily he had a seat.
He had been invited to give a talk. He would arrive Sunday, stay the night, talk Monday and head home, another 6 hour-3 train journey. While there he would see the inspiration that was Mark Holland. Dave, Mark and Dave's supervisor would spend the day together, chatting all things stats and chaos.
On arrival, the hotel was but a short walk up a steep hill. St David's Hill to be precise, a lovely name. The place felt somewhat countryside-ish, plenty of greeny and fresh air. The hotel was a converted three storey house, the room following the standard bed, desk, TV, bathroom layout, but with a cute slightly flowery twist. All in all, Dave liked it.
Dave's Supervisor was... less impressed. "It reminds me of my undergraduate days," he commented, in a negative tone.
Exeter University was beautiful. A scattering of University buildings on top of a hill. Bright green nature in every direction. A wonderful 10 minute walk from the hotel to meet Mark.
Dave's Supervisor... less impressed... and somewhat exhusted.
At lunch, the trio went off to find food. Mark was in somewhat of a hurry, needing to see students an hour later. The staff house was being fixed up so the only option was to dine in studentville, the Exeter Guild. The food was decent, the place was comfy, Dave was satisfied.
Needless to say how Dave's Supervisor took it.
The Talk. Dave's talk. Suppose to last 45min, trailed on for the hour. The questions were relevant, the comments useful, it was going well. The talk finished and people came to give feedback.
This was Dave's moment. This is what he had spent two days making slides for and two days travelling. That's almost a week of his life, all came down to this.
Someone approached. "Nice talk". Completely clear of sarcasim! Success!
Dave's Supervisor replied, "Thanks," and the two carried on chatting.
'....'
He had been invited to give a talk. He would arrive Sunday, stay the night, talk Monday and head home, another 6 hour-3 train journey. While there he would see the inspiration that was Mark Holland. Dave, Mark and Dave's supervisor would spend the day together, chatting all things stats and chaos.
On arrival, the hotel was but a short walk up a steep hill. St David's Hill to be precise, a lovely name. The place felt somewhat countryside-ish, plenty of greeny and fresh air. The hotel was a converted three storey house, the room following the standard bed, desk, TV, bathroom layout, but with a cute slightly flowery twist. All in all, Dave liked it.
Dave's Supervisor was... less impressed. "It reminds me of my undergraduate days," he commented, in a negative tone.
Exeter University was beautiful. A scattering of University buildings on top of a hill. Bright green nature in every direction. A wonderful 10 minute walk from the hotel to meet Mark.
Dave's Supervisor... less impressed... and somewhat exhusted.
At lunch, the trio went off to find food. Mark was in somewhat of a hurry, needing to see students an hour later. The staff house was being fixed up so the only option was to dine in studentville, the Exeter Guild. The food was decent, the place was comfy, Dave was satisfied.
Needless to say how Dave's Supervisor took it.
The Talk. Dave's talk. Suppose to last 45min, trailed on for the hour. The questions were relevant, the comments useful, it was going well. The talk finished and people came to give feedback.
This was Dave's moment. This is what he had spent two days making slides for and two days travelling. That's almost a week of his life, all came down to this.
Someone approached. "Nice talk". Completely clear of sarcasim! Success!
Dave's Supervisor replied, "Thanks," and the two carried on chatting.
'....'
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)