Jorge Cham, author of www.phdcomics.com is coming to Central Queensland University to give his talk! I don't know how this miraculous event has come about, but I think it may well be the greatest thing CQU has ever done for its students :D
He's talking on 10th February, and I think anyone connected with the University could probably reasonably come. No harm in registering, at http://learning.cqu.edu.au/showcase2006/register.htm
Go go go!
Edit: Nooo..!
"The ‘Surprise Mystery Guest’ is:
Professor Richard Johnstone
Foundation Executive Director of the Carrick Institute for Learning and Teaching in Higher Education
Please Note: The presentation by Jorge Cham has been cancelled."
Wednesday 7 December 2005
Saturday 3 December 2005
Nick in Vienna 3
I'm writing this from the British Airways lounge in London. Russel got me in. It's a nice place to spend a few hours waiting for our flight to Singapore.
All in all in Vienna, I got to see two palaces, a Mozart & Strauss concert (at one of the palaces), the Spanish Riding School, the Art Historical Museum, 4 spectacular churches, the catacombs under Stephansplatz, the river Danube, the Vienna International City, and the christmas markets.
There's just too much to do justice here; suffice to say that some highlights were:
Listening to a busker playing violin inside a huge vaulted stone chamber in the palace. The strains from that one violin filled and reverberated through the room and spilled out into the night.
Wandering through the Christmas Markets of Rathausplatz at night, with snow gently drifting down and the frosted clock-tower presiding over the park. It was damn cold, but it felt fantistically christmasy.
Browsing the Kunsthistorichesmuseum (Art Historical Museum; they apparently don't believe in spaces in German) collection of paintings, particularly their special collection of Goya. The Greek and Roman Antiquities were also fascinating.
Exploring the catacombs beneath St. Stephans and Stephansplazt. Here were the sarcophagi of bishops and dukes in ornately carved chambers, and the mass graves of victims of the Black Death in crudely hewn pits. There was one room where the bones of old bodies had been moved from their burial place and meticulously stacked by prisoners, floor to ceiling, like bricks. There were quite literally walls of bone packed solidly together, with the odd skull peering out from between ribs and thighs.
Some general observations:
People just love dogs in Vienna. There are fenced parks throughout the city where your dog can run around unleashed. Dogs are allowed to travel on the underground train system (they even have to pay a child's fare!). They sell dog food in pharmacies. Upscale shops and cafes feel the need to put explicit "no dogs" signs on their doors; one can only infer that dogs are welcome in other shops.
People are very friendly and helpful, and it was generally easy to get around speaking only English, even when no-one else did. And usually, in tricky situations, there would be some helpful person who would step in and translate. When we were standing helplessly around a ticket machine for the Underground, an old lady came up to us and tried to help. She couldn't, really, but she tried very hard.
People are very beautiful in Austria. Of course, it's hard to say given all the layers of clothing people wear, but it was very rare to see anyone who looked overweight, even rugged up against the chill.
The Underground train network was exceedingly easy to use, once we bought a week-long ticket each. We could get anywhere in the city easily and quickly.
People seem to be quite relaxed about toilets. In one case, the male and female toilets in the underground were connected by an open room in which some women were sitting around having a coffee and a smoke, out of the cold. While I admire such openness, I really don't understand why anyone would want coffee and a smoke in between two toilets :
Smoking is still very common in Vienna, and accepted in most places. There are areas reserved for non-smokers, rather than the other way around. It didn't bother me too much though.
There's this drink and tradition in one, called "punsch". The drink is a mixture of red wine, spices, and spirits, warmed and drunk from mugs like coffee. In all the malls there are punsch stands, usually with a covered area in front of them and bar-style tables. People congregate around here in the chill of night, drinking and socialising. I tried some. I think it must be an acquired taste.
Time for me to board my flight to Singapore. I wish I could have stayed in Vienna longer, but nevertheless I'm glad to be heading home. I'm looking forward to just sleeping for a day.
All in all in Vienna, I got to see two palaces, a Mozart & Strauss concert (at one of the palaces), the Spanish Riding School, the Art Historical Museum, 4 spectacular churches, the catacombs under Stephansplatz, the river Danube, the Vienna International City, and the christmas markets.
There's just too much to do justice here; suffice to say that some highlights were:
Listening to a busker playing violin inside a huge vaulted stone chamber in the palace. The strains from that one violin filled and reverberated through the room and spilled out into the night.
Wandering through the Christmas Markets of Rathausplatz at night, with snow gently drifting down and the frosted clock-tower presiding over the park. It was damn cold, but it felt fantistically christmasy.
Browsing the Kunsthistorichesmuseum (Art Historical Museum; they apparently don't believe in spaces in German) collection of paintings, particularly their special collection of Goya. The Greek and Roman Antiquities were also fascinating.
Exploring the catacombs beneath St. Stephans and Stephansplazt. Here were the sarcophagi of bishops and dukes in ornately carved chambers, and the mass graves of victims of the Black Death in crudely hewn pits. There was one room where the bones of old bodies had been moved from their burial place and meticulously stacked by prisoners, floor to ceiling, like bricks. There were quite literally walls of bone packed solidly together, with the odd skull peering out from between ribs and thighs.
Some general observations:
People just love dogs in Vienna. There are fenced parks throughout the city where your dog can run around unleashed. Dogs are allowed to travel on the underground train system (they even have to pay a child's fare!). They sell dog food in pharmacies. Upscale shops and cafes feel the need to put explicit "no dogs" signs on their doors; one can only infer that dogs are welcome in other shops.
People are very friendly and helpful, and it was generally easy to get around speaking only English, even when no-one else did. And usually, in tricky situations, there would be some helpful person who would step in and translate. When we were standing helplessly around a ticket machine for the Underground, an old lady came up to us and tried to help. She couldn't, really, but she tried very hard.
People are very beautiful in Austria. Of course, it's hard to say given all the layers of clothing people wear, but it was very rare to see anyone who looked overweight, even rugged up against the chill.
The Underground train network was exceedingly easy to use, once we bought a week-long ticket each. We could get anywhere in the city easily and quickly.
People seem to be quite relaxed about toilets. In one case, the male and female toilets in the underground were connected by an open room in which some women were sitting around having a coffee and a smoke, out of the cold. While I admire such openness, I really don't understand why anyone would want coffee and a smoke in between two toilets :
Smoking is still very common in Vienna, and accepted in most places. There are areas reserved for non-smokers, rather than the other way around. It didn't bother me too much though.
There's this drink and tradition in one, called "punsch". The drink is a mixture of red wine, spices, and spirits, warmed and drunk from mugs like coffee. In all the malls there are punsch stands, usually with a covered area in front of them and bar-style tables. People congregate around here in the chill of night, drinking and socialising. I tried some. I think it must be an acquired taste.
Time for me to board my flight to Singapore. I wish I could have stayed in Vienna longer, but nevertheless I'm glad to be heading home. I'm looking forward to just sleeping for a day.
Thursday 1 December 2005
Nick in Vienna 2
The conference is over, it's about 11pm, and I'm exhausted. Admittedly, that's as much from sightseeing today as conferring yesterday and Monday, but the point stands: I'm blogging instead of sleeping.
On the first afternoon that I was here, before my luggage arrived, I went out with Russel and his friend Rahul to find a palace. At first this sounded like an extraordinary proposition, and in the end we didn't find the palace, but that was only because we walked off in exactly the wrong direction. In actuality, what's almost as extraordinary as taking a stroll to see a palace is the fact that we didn't see a palace. You can hardly throw a stone in Vienna without hitting either a palace or a cathedral or other monument of some appropriate magnificence.
Nevertheless, we didn't find our palace, but we did happen upon Mariahilferstraße (check my German skills!), one of the main shopping districts. I took the opportunity to buy a good warm jacket. Actually, what I'd really like is one of those long slim black wool overcoats since I reckon they look incredibly stylin', but I can't justify the cost :( (As it is, I'm making do without gloves or hat, since I wouldn't use either in Rockhampton. I should have just bought some the first day though, my hands and ears have never been so cold!)
On Sunday, I visited a couple of markets (the stalls all blended into a homogenous blur after a little while) at which I discovered the joy of warm roast chestnuts huddled under the dubious shelter of a stall with snow falling all around. This was the first time I'd been in falling snow, and I wandered around in delighted fascination.
The architecture of Vienna is amazing. Around every corner is a building more breath-taking than the last. Shops compete with one another for grandeur, but pale in comparison to the spectacular public works of ages gone by. The view of the gothic steeples of a church soaring over a park's snow-dusted treetops is like something out of a fairytale.
Ruhul, Xin, and I found the palace we'd looked for the previous day. The Schöenbrunn Palace was (most recently) the summer home of Emperor Franz Joseph, who died there in 1916. Since then it's become a heritage building and is open to the public. We explored the palace itself, which housed the furniture and items used by the imperial family, and the grounds around it. I've decided I want a palace, myself.
For the next couple of days, with one exception, I was flat out attending, facilitating, and presenting at the conference. With all due respect to the amount of work put in by everone, the conference was a bit of a mess. I spent most of Monday sorting out computer problems in between making sure rooms were opened and closed (and locked). Tuesday was blessedly smoother, but I had my presentation to worry about that day.
The exception was Tuesday night, the night of the conference dinner. I had requested funding to go to the conference dinner (€45, $70AUD, yikes : ), expecting not to enjoy it that much but knowing I should make the effort to make contacts and be a good researcher. I was expecting something similar to every other conference dinner I'd been to: big banquet hall, round tables with crisp white tablecloths, polished silverware, and sparkling glass. You know how it is. An evening of dull speeches and polite conversation.
When at first we pulled up in front of a massive sandstone building, I was impressed if still resigned. When we filed into a small door in the side of the building, up a winding flight of stairs, and into a low, cramped, tavern, I was surprised and disappointed. The food was help-yourself country style fare. The tavern benches were awkwardly cramped. I paid how much for this? But my initial misgivings were misplaced. This small tavern with no windows, a low arched ceiling and walls made from rough stone blocks blackened with age hosted the absolute best "formal" dinner I've ever been to.
I think the unlimited bar tab helped :D There was singing, and a fellow playing an accordian all night, and dancing from waltz to tango to greek and cossack line dancing, toasts in a dozen different languages. It was noisy, raucous, and great fun. An older bloke from Australia and I taught an impromptu choir "Waltzing Matilda" and performed for the guests of honour. Other delegates from other countries sang their own songs. I became an honourary Iranian for the purposes of singing... er, I can't quite remember what I was singing. But it was good.
I should stop writing now to make sure I can pay for the internet cost with the change I have left. I need to get some more money tomorrow morning...
Best regards,
Nick.
On the first afternoon that I was here, before my luggage arrived, I went out with Russel and his friend Rahul to find a palace. At first this sounded like an extraordinary proposition, and in the end we didn't find the palace, but that was only because we walked off in exactly the wrong direction. In actuality, what's almost as extraordinary as taking a stroll to see a palace is the fact that we didn't see a palace. You can hardly throw a stone in Vienna without hitting either a palace or a cathedral or other monument of some appropriate magnificence.
Nevertheless, we didn't find our palace, but we did happen upon Mariahilferstraße (check my German skills!), one of the main shopping districts. I took the opportunity to buy a good warm jacket. Actually, what I'd really like is one of those long slim black wool overcoats since I reckon they look incredibly stylin', but I can't justify the cost :( (As it is, I'm making do without gloves or hat, since I wouldn't use either in Rockhampton. I should have just bought some the first day though, my hands and ears have never been so cold!)
On Sunday, I visited a couple of markets (the stalls all blended into a homogenous blur after a little while) at which I discovered the joy of warm roast chestnuts huddled under the dubious shelter of a stall with snow falling all around. This was the first time I'd been in falling snow, and I wandered around in delighted fascination.
The architecture of Vienna is amazing. Around every corner is a building more breath-taking than the last. Shops compete with one another for grandeur, but pale in comparison to the spectacular public works of ages gone by. The view of the gothic steeples of a church soaring over a park's snow-dusted treetops is like something out of a fairytale.
Ruhul, Xin, and I found the palace we'd looked for the previous day. The Schöenbrunn Palace was (most recently) the summer home of Emperor Franz Joseph, who died there in 1916. Since then it's become a heritage building and is open to the public. We explored the palace itself, which housed the furniture and items used by the imperial family, and the grounds around it. I've decided I want a palace, myself.
For the next couple of days, with one exception, I was flat out attending, facilitating, and presenting at the conference. With all due respect to the amount of work put in by everone, the conference was a bit of a mess. I spent most of Monday sorting out computer problems in between making sure rooms were opened and closed (and locked). Tuesday was blessedly smoother, but I had my presentation to worry about that day.
The exception was Tuesday night, the night of the conference dinner. I had requested funding to go to the conference dinner (€45, $70AUD, yikes : ), expecting not to enjoy it that much but knowing I should make the effort to make contacts and be a good researcher. I was expecting something similar to every other conference dinner I'd been to: big banquet hall, round tables with crisp white tablecloths, polished silverware, and sparkling glass. You know how it is. An evening of dull speeches and polite conversation.
When at first we pulled up in front of a massive sandstone building, I was impressed if still resigned. When we filed into a small door in the side of the building, up a winding flight of stairs, and into a low, cramped, tavern, I was surprised and disappointed. The food was help-yourself country style fare. The tavern benches were awkwardly cramped. I paid how much for this? But my initial misgivings were misplaced. This small tavern with no windows, a low arched ceiling and walls made from rough stone blocks blackened with age hosted the absolute best "formal" dinner I've ever been to.
I think the unlimited bar tab helped :D There was singing, and a fellow playing an accordian all night, and dancing from waltz to tango to greek and cossack line dancing, toasts in a dozen different languages. It was noisy, raucous, and great fun. An older bloke from Australia and I taught an impromptu choir "Waltzing Matilda" and performed for the guests of honour. Other delegates from other countries sang their own songs. I became an honourary Iranian for the purposes of singing... er, I can't quite remember what I was singing. But it was good.
I should stop writing now to make sure I can pay for the internet cost with the change I have left. I need to get some more money tomorrow morning...
Best regards,
Nick.
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