FOSDEM 2009 in snippets
I promised to blog about FOSDEM, so I'd better do so before I forget all the good bits. Bulleted list (with too-long items) of random impressions, as usual.
- The journey was largely OK, if a bit failful on the ticket-collecting front. This was partly my fault, I admit, but I know better for next time. Note to self: the dining car on the Eurostar does not accept debit cards. Grrrr. We got there, anyway, and even managed to wrestle the STIB/MIVB/whatever ticket machine machine into submission. Currently we're using 3-day tickets. Are 10-journey tickets valid for longer than a year? If so, I'll consider switching back to those.
- Steak Archiduc is the most delicious thing in the world if you are a very hungry hobbit. Dinner with lovely people is also greatly to be lauded.
- I helped sell beer tickets for a short while after dinner, which was actually quite good fun. Made the acquaintance of Three Quarks, the exceedingly cute press officer dude (I think his ego just exploded). We had to step outside to be able to hear what we were saying: it was a bit loud in the bar.
- Only at FOSDEM could you have an impromptu sabre lesson in the middle of an alley between two pubs.
- I managed to identify last year's Mystery Beer! It was Kasteel Rouge.
- We also managed to find last year's Chippy Of Awesomeness, where delicious cheese croquettes can be had. Sadly, unlike last year, there was no Wagner blasting away at great volume. Even as an emphatic non-Wagnerite I was quite entertained by that, so I rather missed it this year.
- Wafflequest 2009 was successful, as appears to be traditional in odd-numbered years.
- FOSDEM is not actually all about the food. Honest.
- I taught a man to knit. Interestingly, though I attempted to teach him continental style, he adapted the technique to something that resembles English style, without my intervention. Next time I meet him, I'll teach him how to purl...