It’s not me that’s late, honest. I skipped a couple of questions, this week, feeling I had little to say on the subject.
1. (…) Do you ever sling slang from your area of expertise around accidentally and leave folks scratching their heads? Do you feel left out when others start speaking in terms specific to their industry? Gimme some examples!
I do use acronyms/abbreviations a lot, though mostly where there really isn’t an alternative (I suppose you could say “hypertext transfer protocol” instead of “aitch-tee-tee-pee”, but I think a lot of people would be more confused by the former than the latter). One thing I know confuses people, even at work, is the fact that I’ve gotten used to pronounce SQL as “sequel” rather than as “ess-que-ell”, which isn’t unusual in English but does not come naturally to Norwegians (“sequel” not being a Norwegian word). It’s a hard habit to break, though. I rather enjoy “tech-slang”, whether it’s my own industry or somone else’s, and though I can quite often be confused by people using acronyms I’ve never come across before, I’m not too shy to ask what they mean, so I feel intrigued rather than “left out”.
3. Some of the meetings at the conference were just plain dull, I almost fell asleep a few times. How do you make it through a boring conversation or meeting when you are feeling drowsy?
A boring conversation? By cutting it off, somehow, anyhow. A meeting, well, if I can let my attention drift I’ll start thinking about something else, preferably some sort of problem that’s complex enough to drag my attention away from the fact that I’m tired. If I do have to pay attention, well, I don’t quite know. I manage somehow. I have the advantage (in this context) of not falling asleep easily, so while I may sit dreaming of my bed the chances that I’ll actually nod off are slim to none.
4. Do you enjoy flying on commercial airlines? Ever flown First Class?
We were upgraded to first class flying BCal back from The Gambia in 1987, but that’s the only time I’ve experienced that. I like flying, though I wish there was more room in ordinary aircrafts – I’d probably enjoy first class a lot for that reason, but I don’t think I’ll ever see it as worth the price (except, possibly, for very long flights).
5. When I book my airfare, I always try to book an aisle seat on the left by the exit doors. That way you have more legroom, and being a “righty” I am able to move my arm and elbow without jabbing someone’s belly. When you fly, where do you like to sit?
I prefer a window seat, as I have never outgrown the thrill of watching everything down on the ground becoming really tiny and all that. I like sitting by the emergency exits, though, precisely because of the legroom issue.
7. At the conference, I saw several “Tablet PCs” and now I really want one. And Digital MP3 player. I don’t ask for much. Do you have any techno-lust going on?
Well, I have an MP3 player. I want a pda of sorts, but only for “playful purposes”, so I haven’t quite managed to convince myself to spend the money yet. And I want a digital SLR – a Canon EOS300D, to be precise. (*Drool*) Not happening, though, unless I win the lottery or something.