Thursday 12 October 2006

Ich bin ein Berliner!

Well I'm sat in the Executive Lounge (get me, I'm going all lah de dah) in the rather posh Marriott in Berlin. I'm on the 10th floor which I think is the top floor and I have an OK view out of the window. If, when I get home, I figure out how to load photos into a blog I might upload a few.

There's a cool building just down the street that has lightbulbs built into its facade and it's showing images, like faces, that stretch the height of the building. You see that's why you need a photo, my description isn't quite good enough.

Anyway, the exec lounge is good for two things: Internet access and free beer. Yes, FREE beer. Woohoo. Well I figure I've earned it.

Did my presentation today. I think it went OK, I never can tell. The subject matter was dry, I had limited material but then I was presenting to a bunch of IT focussed marketing folk. Who knows, it may have been the highlight of their day (doubt it, but you never know).

After a few of the audience have downed a few drinks I'll try and get some honest feedback, although I think people get to vote and feedback at the end of the forum via a questionnaire. I'll probably be presented with a score out of ten and some helpful and constructive verbatim comments. Alternatively they'll just tell me I'm shit. Or more likely they'll give me the data and just not invite me to present again.

I think I might be being a little harsh on myself. Some people gave me instant positive feedback but I never trust people and I tend to think they're just being kind. I'd much rather see a number out of 10, it's more honest, more anonymous.

Berlin, by the way, is quite impressive when compared with my last trip. Last time I was here, late 90's, it was a building site. Well there's still a lot of construction going on but the new buildings/districts are really quite impressive. There's just one small thing I would change - there aren't any pedestrian crossings. It's mad trying to cross the road - you just have to rely on the better nature of drivers and hope they won't run you over.

Am going out with my fellow geeks tonight (need to shower/change, apply slap). Is it fair to call them geeks? I would argue yes, but then that makes me a geek. Am I a geek? Don't all shout at once.

(By the way, German keyboard layouts suck!)

More photos:

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