Dancing Through the Day

I attended the 33rd International Symposium on Remote Sensing of the Environment (ISRSE-33) in Stresa, Italy last week. On Thursday I gave a talk in a session that I was co-chairing, which started at 11 am, ended at 12:30. The GEO Architecture and Data Committee (ADC) meeting also started at 11 am, so I knew I'd miss the beginning. In addition, I was to make a presentation to the GEO Science and Technology Meeting (STC) at 2:15 pm, and had to help someone make a presentation remotely to the ADC at 2:40 pm. On top of all this, I was to meet and introduce the president of the Italian state Telecom Company (the research division) at 1:00 - 1:30. Recipe for disaster? You guessed it.

When I loaded my presentation into the central computer system of the conference (Windows based) some of my figures did not show, because I had prepared it on a Mac. This was discovered 20 min before the beginning of the session. I desperately tried to convert the images, but no go. Ok, I'll use my laptop to project. But I didn't have the video converter cable with me. Desperately looked for a mac owner who might have one. My co-chair shows up. She has the mac connector. whew! Wait, wrong version, doesn't fit my newer computer. Now 2 min before start of session. I got it - copy presentation to her Mac and use it to project. It works!

Okay session goes well, I introduce speakers, ask questions, moderate other's questions. All going well. Then it's my turn to present (had not done any dry runs - no time. final adjustments to slides was that morning, not sure what I'm going to say). I start talking. Feeling confident. Good material. Audience engaged. Phone rings in my pocket. Fumble to turn it off while keep talking. Stops. Continue talk. Phone rings again. This time while fumbling in my pocket I not only answer it but turn it on speaker phone. Continue making my ad lib presentation with a voice "hello? are you there?" coming out of my pocket. It was the Pres. of the Italian telecom calling to say he was waiting for me at registration.

I end my talk, hand off the session to my co-chair and run downstairs. Bring Roberto up to the ADC meeting, make some introductions, run back to my session. On last paper. Final questions. I thank the speakers and audience. Dash back to ADC meeting. Engage in the discussion. While discussion is going on, I try to be unobtrusive and set up my computer at the speaker's table and try to connect with the person making the next presentation. Skype shows he's not online. Sandwiches brought in for working lunch. Grab a bite, dash down to STC meeting, listen to introduction of topic, make a presentation. Sit back down (I thought it impolite to dash right out). Jay (ADC co-chair) calmly comes it. I figure it's time to go back to ADC. I get there and they're on break, waiting for me to get skype going for the next speaker. He finally logs in. We connect. No sound. His microphone is not working. Chair is asking what's up. I punt, and call his office line with skype. That works. We get started. All goes well.

That evening at the social hour following the meetings I speak with the director of USGEO - a feisty woman who carries around a cane which you are certain she uses to whack people when she is really unhappy with them. I needed to talk to her about some meetings in D.C. in November. When I approach her, before I can say anything she says "converted to Sikh, right? treat women as equals. that's good". A director of the Australian science and industry body (CSIRO) says he liked my presentation to the STC and saw that I could appreciate work he had done on digital elevation models and tells me all about it. People at random come up and compliment me both on the session I chaired and my brief presentation to the ADC. So, in all I'd say the day was successful