When I lived in Spain, I would have given anything for a good public library – especially one with English books. Well, now they have them! There are very nice public libraries in Barcelona. They were quite popular – people were waiting outside for the one I visited to open. Inside they were light and […]
Libraries in Barcelona! Read More »
Crime appears to be up in Barcelona. Many of the local residents blame the economy and the huge number of foreign immigrants. It’s affecting people’s behavior. At dinner at a nice restaurant, a friend told me not to leave my bag on the chair next to me. While visiting a friend on her rooftop terrace,
Crime in Barcelona Read More »
I’m not looking for the best hotel as in the fanciest hotel. I’m looking for the cheapest hotel that is still good. Or at least clean, safe and convenient. I travel to San Francisco a lot and I’ve been looking for the best and most economical option for quite a while. I’ve stayed at a
Best hotel in San Francisco … not yet Read More »
I got a Zuca Pro for Christmas and I love it. I think Zuca should be paying me sales commissions because every where I go, I get asked about it. At a recent conference, one colleague, after hearing me explain at least 10 times what my suitcase was, suggested that I just ask for the
Zuca, a suitcase designed for travel Read More »
In 2003 I gave a talk in Malaysia. What I noticed immediately is that my audience was well over half women. This was really noticeable because they were all wearing brightly colored hijabs. Usually I scan the room and count how many women I can find – usually on my fingers even in a room
How does Malaysia encourage so many women in software? Read More »
It's time to decide what events I want to attend this year. Usually I figure it out a bit as I go but with multiple calls for papers deadlines coming up and invitations to speak coming up earlier than ever before, I decided it was time to create a plan for the year. Every time
Where should I be this year? Read More »
According to Lucky and confirmed by many people online: many international United aircraft have their in-flight entertainment systems disabled due to the “airshow†feature, where you can see the location of your aircraft. Let's ignore the fact that you could easily carry a GPS on to the plane (soon we'll outlaw GPSes, watches, phones and
Do they think our enemies are stupid? Read More »
The TSA and the airlines need to take parenting classes. The New York Times now says some airlines won't allow us to hold anything during the last hour of some flights: “Among other things,†the statement in Air Canada’s Web site read, “during the final hour of flight customers must remain seated, will not be
TSA needs to take parenting classes Read More »
I had a few minutes today between an interview and dinner so I decided to sneak in a quick run. Being in Oxford, I assumed the treadmill was calibrated in kilometers like many countries in Europe. I did a quick mental calculation and bumped up the speed to 12 km/hour. Or so I thought. Turns
Kilograms, stones and miles Read More »
I love presentations where the audience has lots of questions and comments. Not only does it mean the audience is engaged but the audience's questions (and their answers!) make the presentation richer. So I'm quite excited that the GNOME Asia Vietnamese conference attendees ask lots of questions. (It's quite different from other Asian countries I've