The conference center's website says that all accommodations here have hot and cold running water. But I couldn't get any hot water out of the shower--or any of the taps for that matter--here in our cottage. As a consequence, I had to endure a cold bath tonight--not exactly a pleasant experience given the cooler climate here.
While everybody else was enjoying dancing to videoke music, I decided to drink a glass of two of the orange juice being served at the venue of tonight's fellowship among the conference participants. Puzzled by the beverage's strange aftertaste, I suddenly realized that the "juice" was actually punch!
We're certainly getting our money's worth here at the conference (even if it's the university that's paying for everything). We had fried rice, bangus, salted egg with tomatoes and garlic for breakfast today. Then we were served a hamburger sandwich(!) as a late morning snack followed by lunch within an hour. Seeing that we're to be served huge ensaymadas for this afternoon's merienda, I believe I'm going to be gaining weight during these three days!
I have been assigned to share a two-bedroom cottage with five other conference participants. I must say I am completely miffed with two senior faculty members who made such a big fuss about who should sleep where just because they didn't want to sleep on the queen-sized bed in the larger of the two bedrooms.
I have been sent by our institute director to attend a faculty conference as one of the representatives of our unit. The conference which starts today and ends on Thursday, 30 April, and is being held at a government-run conference center situated at a mountaintop some 50 kilometers away from campus. While this is still essentially work, the change in environment is certainly refreshing.
