This place is huge! It takes me (a reasonably fast walker) 10 minutes just to get from my room to the conference centre!
So a quick visit to the pool (next to conference centre) would take:
0) walk back to room to change 10mins
1) prep time 2 mins (pull on my togs, etc)
2) walk 10 mins
3) find which pool I'm meant to use 5 mins
4) jump in for a 30 min swim
5) get out dry off 1 min
6) walk 10 min
7) have a shower, get changed 5min
8) walk back to conference centre for next session 10min
That's 83 minutes just to have a half-hour swim!
You can live the experience vicariously by watching my super-scintillating video!
26 August 2009
Come on in, the water's great!
On my way from my room to the conference centre, I go past the entrance to the massive open courtyard where there are three or four pools, and they are all reasonably big.
I was going to go for a swim this morning at 6AM before the day got too hot, but circumstances prevailed.
I stepped outside at lunch time to get a breath of fresh air. The outside temperature actually wasn't too bad, considering I'm in trousers and a long sleeve collared business shirt, but no tie or jacket. I'm wearing what is termed "business casual." If it were a haircut, it would be a mullet: business on top, casual on the back. See these examples of mullets below.
Here is one of the pools:
So inviting on a hot day such as this....
I reckon putting on one of the training courses *in* the pool would result in 100% attendance! 50 computer nerds in the pool, Blackberrys in hand, listening to a guy talk about 32 and 64-bit linear address spaces and logical block addressing extensions. Now *that* would be a total nerd alert!
I was going to go for a swim this morning at 6AM before the day got too hot, but circumstances prevailed.
I stepped outside at lunch time to get a breath of fresh air. The outside temperature actually wasn't too bad, considering I'm in trousers and a long sleeve collared business shirt, but no tie or jacket. I'm wearing what is termed "business casual." If it were a haircut, it would be a mullet: business on top, casual on the back. See these examples of mullets below.
Here is one of the pools:
So inviting on a hot day such as this....I reckon putting on one of the training courses *in* the pool would result in 100% attendance! 50 computer nerds in the pool, Blackberrys in hand, listening to a guy talk about 32 and 64-bit linear address spaces and logical block addressing extensions. Now *that* would be a total nerd alert!
I see a Sea Blue!
Inside the Hotel/Casino I am staying at, there is a restaurant called Sea Blue. I don't know if I will get to try it, but if there is one thing they do well here, it's theming and presentation!
Sea Blue caught my eye because it is a seafood restaurant (duh, Ben!) and the theme is so, well, Sea Blue!
There are six video screens on the front that show under-sea images of tropical fish swimming around. Ironic, considering that we are in the middle of a massive desert!
Unfortunately, the pictures do not do the place justice.
Sea Blue caught my eye because it is a seafood restaurant (duh, Ben!) and the theme is so, well, Sea Blue!
There are six video screens on the front that show under-sea images of tropical fish swimming around. Ironic, considering that we are in the middle of a massive desert!
Unfortunately, the pictures do not do the place justice.
Happy Anniversary to us!
Hi all, it's our 14th Anniversary today, and we're 10,000 miles apart! Awww...I'll have to sing that song '500 miles' 10 times to get back to Sydney. I think I would be killed by someone for doing so before I made it home.
Looking back now, I feel like Sharon's been stuck in a space shuttle and launched to near light speed around the sun and she's come back to me 14 years later after only ageing 2 or 3 days... I'm glad it's me and not her who is old and gray now!
(In case you were interested, here's the story: The Twin Paradox - Sandra Ku, this is for you!!!)
To my darling, one and only, lovely wife, Sharon (did I say patient, long-suffering, tolerant to a point, clever, resourceful, inventive and spicy too)... and mother of our 5.5 rambunctious but lovable children...
HAPPY ANNIVERSARY I LOOOOOVE YOU!
... and I miss you!
God Bless you and keep you (sane) until I return, my love.
God Bless you and keep you (sane) until I return, my love.
Your hubby, Ben.
Cough cough hack hack aggggghhh....
In Australia, smoking is not permitted in public venues except in specially designated, segregated areas. The air conditioning systems are usually separated to prevent cross-contamination.
Over here in Vegas, you are allowed to smoke inside the Casino and hotel. It seems that the air conditioning system has the job of not clearing the air, but evenly distributing the smoke particles through the whole building.
It is very smokey here, even in the non-smoking wing. I think it has to do with the air conditioning system. The awful smell of stale smoke clings to everything and the room is a matching dull yellow colour.
I am coughing all the time, and having to blow my nose and clear my throat often. My eyes are always itchy and I feel terrible.
I have one Zirtec antihistamine tablet left.... do I take it now, or do I wait until the itching and coughing becomes unbearable? Decisions, decisions.
Over here in Vegas, you are allowed to smoke inside the Casino and hotel. It seems that the air conditioning system has the job of not clearing the air, but evenly distributing the smoke particles through the whole building.
It is very smokey here, even in the non-smoking wing. I think it has to do with the air conditioning system. The awful smell of stale smoke clings to everything and the room is a matching dull yellow colour.
I am coughing all the time, and having to blow my nose and clear my throat often. My eyes are always itchy and I feel terrible.
I have one Zirtec antihistamine tablet left.... do I take it now, or do I wait until the itching and coughing becomes unbearable? Decisions, decisions.
Over Las Vegas. Or at least the culture.
I'm over Las Vegas. Not the interesting stuff ,as I haven't seen the other hotels, which I'm assured are pretty cool, with fountains out the front and other amazing displays. I'm over the culture they sell and promote here.
Last night, we had the opening reception for the training conference that I'm here for. The first part of the conversation usually involved a lament on how hard it is to find good-looking and smart IT girls. The final part of the conversation involved a decision to go and find an establishment that provides satiation for the lusts of the flesh in as many different ways as possible. I will leave it to your imagination to fill in the rest. There was little interest in discussing anything else.
Oh, there was some business talk sprinkled in between, and some polite acknowledgement that since two of the chatting group were professing Christians (Dave and me) that we were free not to participate. I hadn't realised it was compulsory (...of course I am being sarcastic).
Dave and I go back a long way in IT. I had always suspected that he was a Christian, but I only got confirmation last night. Funny how we're always so up-front about our profession, our hobbys and our homes, but we're not so upfront about our faith when there is peer pressure and the possibility of ridicule and not being taken seriously.
Then there was the bar where the barmaid was dressed in a short skirt (it is 40 degrees remember) and she got up and danced on the bar itself. She was a good dancer. I could tell from watching the shadow of her on the wall. Most of our group went around to take photos, and came back like they were little kids who had found a valley full of chocolates and lollies, making comments that clearly showed that they were not seeing her as another person to respect, but an object to be coveted and lusted over. Seriously, is this how grown men with significant social and professonal responsibilities should behave? Dave and I gently reminded the other guys that she is a person too, not just an object of their lust, but I think they were too drunk to register.
The thing that got to me is that these guys did not see anything wrong with this. It was seen as good fun and 'naughty,' as in cheeky but not really wrong. What they don't seem to grasp is that there is a huge difference between admiring and lusting, between proper enjoyment and gluttony or debauchery. The difference is in the heart attitude, and the outcome is in what action one decides to take.
Dave and I talked to the guys about finding a woman they could get to know and respect, and making a life-long commitment to the relationship as equals. I think the other guys were not willing to give up their ways just yet, but they were jealous because they could see in our faces that the commitment to one woman pays off. You don't know how many times Dave and I looked a each other, sighed, and said "no, sorry, we're one-woman men." One guy (a good friend of mine) did say at one stage "I wish I could find a woman who is like your wives. I'm not getting any younger, but I find it hard to meet someone like that." Perhaps most girls are conditioned by the media, society and their peers nowadays to look for the wrong things in men.
In reflection, the phrase "beauty is skin-deep, but ugly goes to the bone" is so right in many ways here... and true inner beauty comes from God, because all people are made in his image.
After that event, we were then approached by someone who was either an undercover cop or a drug dealer or pimp. He boldly asked us what we wanted in the way of substance abuse and other things which I have already mentioned. He said he could get us anything. The men in our group couldn't seem to say no, so he gave our group his card. "Free limo ride to anything you desire" he said. Yeah, right, sure.
After that, our group said it was decision time, did we want to go with them to a strip club or not? Dave and I declined and went to our rooms to sleep. The other guys headed off to find their 'experience' for the evening.
These guys are lost. They can sense that the way they are going isn't right, but they don't know exactly how to get it right. God still loves all the lost, and we are His messengers of hope. Dave and I will keep trying to share the Gospel with these guys, since we are sprinkled with plenty of opportunity.. we are hanging out with these guys for 3 days straight from 7AM-11PM!
I won't say that I wasn't tempted. The Devil will stick temptations right up to your face. God is testing our faithfulness in these situations, and it would be impossible to resist without the help of the Holy Spirit.
So in the midst of this jaded, stale, smokey environment, surrounded by all this stuff, I also thank God that He has given Dave and me each other as brothers in Christ at the conference. "Where two or more are gathered in my name, there am I in their midst" is the promise that Jesus Christ gave us. That is so true. Dave and I needed each other as moral standards back-up last night.
As Christians, we need to boldly proclaim God's kingdom and message, and actively seek out other Christians in our workplaces to be able to support each other better.
Epilogue:
The next morning, to no surprise, the same men, all suited up in their presentation gear, looked so serious and professional delivering their training presentations. We all can be such chameleons.
That was "Storage Foundation and High Availability (SFHA)." Two and half solid hours of the most scintillating training on earth, if your rely on SFHA to keep your job!
Last night, we had the opening reception for the training conference that I'm here for. The first part of the conversation usually involved a lament on how hard it is to find good-looking and smart IT girls. The final part of the conversation involved a decision to go and find an establishment that provides satiation for the lusts of the flesh in as many different ways as possible. I will leave it to your imagination to fill in the rest. There was little interest in discussing anything else.
Oh, there was some business talk sprinkled in between, and some polite acknowledgement that since two of the chatting group were professing Christians (Dave and me) that we were free not to participate. I hadn't realised it was compulsory (...of course I am being sarcastic).
Dave and I go back a long way in IT. I had always suspected that he was a Christian, but I only got confirmation last night. Funny how we're always so up-front about our profession, our hobbys and our homes, but we're not so upfront about our faith when there is peer pressure and the possibility of ridicule and not being taken seriously.
Then there was the bar where the barmaid was dressed in a short skirt (it is 40 degrees remember) and she got up and danced on the bar itself. She was a good dancer. I could tell from watching the shadow of her on the wall. Most of our group went around to take photos, and came back like they were little kids who had found a valley full of chocolates and lollies, making comments that clearly showed that they were not seeing her as another person to respect, but an object to be coveted and lusted over. Seriously, is this how grown men with significant social and professonal responsibilities should behave? Dave and I gently reminded the other guys that she is a person too, not just an object of their lust, but I think they were too drunk to register.
The thing that got to me is that these guys did not see anything wrong with this. It was seen as good fun and 'naughty,' as in cheeky but not really wrong. What they don't seem to grasp is that there is a huge difference between admiring and lusting, between proper enjoyment and gluttony or debauchery. The difference is in the heart attitude, and the outcome is in what action one decides to take.
Dave and I talked to the guys about finding a woman they could get to know and respect, and making a life-long commitment to the relationship as equals. I think the other guys were not willing to give up their ways just yet, but they were jealous because they could see in our faces that the commitment to one woman pays off. You don't know how many times Dave and I looked a each other, sighed, and said "no, sorry, we're one-woman men." One guy (a good friend of mine) did say at one stage "I wish I could find a woman who is like your wives. I'm not getting any younger, but I find it hard to meet someone like that." Perhaps most girls are conditioned by the media, society and their peers nowadays to look for the wrong things in men.
In reflection, the phrase "beauty is skin-deep, but ugly goes to the bone" is so right in many ways here... and true inner beauty comes from God, because all people are made in his image.
After that event, we were then approached by someone who was either an undercover cop or a drug dealer or pimp. He boldly asked us what we wanted in the way of substance abuse and other things which I have already mentioned. He said he could get us anything. The men in our group couldn't seem to say no, so he gave our group his card. "Free limo ride to anything you desire" he said. Yeah, right, sure.
After that, our group said it was decision time, did we want to go with them to a strip club or not? Dave and I declined and went to our rooms to sleep. The other guys headed off to find their 'experience' for the evening.
These guys are lost. They can sense that the way they are going isn't right, but they don't know exactly how to get it right. God still loves all the lost, and we are His messengers of hope. Dave and I will keep trying to share the Gospel with these guys, since we are sprinkled with plenty of opportunity.. we are hanging out with these guys for 3 days straight from 7AM-11PM!
I won't say that I wasn't tempted. The Devil will stick temptations right up to your face. God is testing our faithfulness in these situations, and it would be impossible to resist without the help of the Holy Spirit.
So in the midst of this jaded, stale, smokey environment, surrounded by all this stuff, I also thank God that He has given Dave and me each other as brothers in Christ at the conference. "Where two or more are gathered in my name, there am I in their midst" is the promise that Jesus Christ gave us. That is so true. Dave and I needed each other as moral standards back-up last night.
As Christians, we need to boldly proclaim God's kingdom and message, and actively seek out other Christians in our workplaces to be able to support each other better.
Epilogue:
The next morning, to no surprise, the same men, all suited up in their presentation gear, looked so serious and professional delivering their training presentations. We all can be such chameleons.
That was "Storage Foundation and High Availability (SFHA)." Two and half solid hours of the most scintillating training on earth, if your rely on SFHA to keep your job!
25 August 2009
Viva Las Vegas!
As part of my work, I'm in Vegas for a Symantec Technical Conference for a few days.
Getting off the plane, there is a 'Welcome to Las Vegas' sign, which is nice:
Just out of view is a set of signs that say "Vegas is a tourist destination and tips are not included in basic prices that you purchase." Then it shows you a list of suitable tips and categories which is about a US Letter size piece of laminated paper, and has about 20 categories of tips, thresholds and how to caluclate them. Of course "Tipping is entirely optional" (but necessary if you want to not be frowned upon)
Just out of view is a set of signs that say "Vegas is a tourist destination and tips are not included in basic prices that you purchase." Then it shows you a list of suitable tips and categories which is about a US Letter size piece of laminated paper, and has about 20 categories of tips, thresholds and how to caluclate them. Of course "Tipping is entirely optional" (but necessary if you want to not be frowned upon)It's between 35 and 42°C in the day, and about 25-33°C in the evenings. I think I'll stay inside during the day.
Here's the gold MGM lion in the main lobby of the hotel. It's big! and shiny!
That's how they fund the hotel and facilities. Those are poker machines. At least they don't collect taxes from the people. Actually, they do, but not through the tax system. These machines are so tempting: bright, colourful, and making noises to attract people. It is obviously easy to start (with small coins) and quickly graduate to much larger amounts, backed by one's credit card (which ends up very depleted when one loses).
Here's my room! It's decorated in 80's style beigy brown with no overhead lighting. It's all mood lighting with lamps. The bathroom (not shown) is lots of black and white marble with gold fixtures. I'm on a non-smoking floor, but it's hopeless. The strong waft of cigarette smoke is stinging my eyes and making me cough.The view from the room is nice, though, with blue skies, some mountain in the background and lots of tall buildings.
I have to go and register for the conference now!
22 August 2009
A date with my daughter
Tonight I am having a date with my daughter Mikaela. In a world where the term 'dating' has all sorts of implications, Sharon and I felt it would be a good thing to demonstrate that dating is about having good clean fun and getting to know someone with no strings attached.
I am playing some board games and other games with Mikaela and having a good old chat and just chillin' out...
Mikaela's favourite game is Crazy Machines 2. You should try it sometime, because the Crazy in the name means it drives the player crazy!!!!
I am playing some board games and other games with Mikaela and having a good old chat and just chillin' out...
Mikaela's favourite game is Crazy Machines 2. You should try it sometime, because the Crazy in the name means it drives the player crazy!!!!
16 August 2009
The more the merrier
We had our nieces Talia and Shannae stay over last night. It was a fun-filled little adventure. Our dear Shannae certainly likes to lock horns with cranky old Uncle Ben. In the end, there was a truce... Shannae and Uncle Ben are fine now, so much so that when he went over to their house to drop off their bedding, he got a massive smile and a 'come and read me a story' plea. The outcome of the horn-locking is now a family secret that will be kept forever (until someone's 21st, engagement party or wedding reception - Shannae, watch out, Uncle Ben has an elephant's memory)...
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