CIKM 2008 and the Bay Area
Some of the work that I'd been doing over two semesters in Cornell was put together into a paper at CIKM 2008. So, I traveled to the Bay Area and drove up to Napa each day to attend. The conference was excellent and I had a really good time meeting up with my professor. I also stopped by the a9 offices in Palo Alto which was very interesting - it's at a great location.
I got to meet harriboi after a really long period. Even though it was a rushed hurried meeting, it was the first time I've seen him in a while, so it was really good. A good part of the trip was also the fact that I got to eat a really great Deepavali home meal. A really large meal. A really great meal - with classical dishes that I'd forgotten and missed. Yum.
Finally, spending time with my nephew S is amazing. As he babbles along, I'm able to tease out meaning and coherence. I can sense a Person growing. I feel a sense of joy that is difficult to describe. I'm worried and terrified of him as he walks - while he adjusts for differences in floor surfaces and sharp corners. He turns his head suddenly and my heart catches in my throat. Somehow, spending time with him is walking a tightrope walk between the highest peaks of the world. There's a sense of unspeakable awe and sheer blinding terror all at the same time.
I got to meet harriboi after a really long period. Even though it was a rushed hurried meeting, it was the first time I've seen him in a while, so it was really good. A good part of the trip was also the fact that I got to eat a really great Deepavali home meal. A really large meal. A really great meal - with classical dishes that I'd forgotten and missed. Yum.
Finally, spending time with my nephew S is amazing. As he babbles along, I'm able to tease out meaning and coherence. I can sense a Person growing. I feel a sense of joy that is difficult to describe. I'm worried and terrified of him as he walks - while he adjusts for differences in floor surfaces and sharp corners. He turns his head suddenly and my heart catches in my throat. Somehow, spending time with him is walking a tightrope walk between the highest peaks of the world. There's a sense of unspeakable awe and sheer blinding terror all at the same time.