Austria part 2:
I got on the train in the early morning and began my journey with utmost serenity and inner peace (admittedly, lack of sleep might have contributed to this state). I had been planning to use my travel time efficiently and to focus on today's presentation or meditate or at least finish the crossword puzzle. But I was back to my regular unproductive irritable non-serene self when I was informed that there was inexplicable and unpredictable construction. And that it would be causing a delay of 80 minutes (pushing my arrival well past the time my presentation was scheduled for). And that I wouldn't be able to make a call.
The remainder of the journey, trapped in a second-class car next to a morbidly obese woman (I chose that seat, but when I realized my mistake I thought it would be too impolite to get up and change seats) was needless to say, rather torturous. And the fact that the delay *didn't* actually occur made things only slightly better. These DB people should go work in Abu Ghraib, these methods of customer intimidation are akin to spraying prisoners with fluorescent paint and having them believe it's radioactive (when it's not).
Anyway, I somehow arrived on time and walked (!) to my appointment and was faced with a whole new set of problems. It had been freezing last time I was there and it was freezing today. But I had planned ahead and was wearing a black zipper cardigan, nice and warm. Inside the presentation room, however, it turned out to be quite cozy. Quite warm indeed and about halfway through my (surprisingly short) presentation there was only one thought on my mind: How inappropriate would it be to take of the cardigan? I was wearing a sleeveless shirt underneath. How immodest in Korea. But how about Austria? Meanwhile I did my best to answer questions (and contradicting pretty much everything I had previously claimed). Sweat was starting to run down my forehead. I was hoping it would register as raindrops. I felt my hand again and again trying to take of the sweater, but my Korean conditioning proved tougher. If I learned anything today it's probably how hot flashes must feel. Remind me to be nicer to menopausal women next time.
Other than that, I want to remark on a very interesting phenomenon: just like most Koreans are named Kim, most Austrians seem to be named Roland (Joerg Haider is the exception). I wonder if there is literature on that.
To be continued.
I got on the train in the early morning and began my journey with utmost serenity and inner peace (admittedly, lack of sleep might have contributed to this state). I had been planning to use my travel time efficiently and to focus on today's presentation or meditate or at least finish the crossword puzzle. But I was back to my regular unproductive irritable non-serene self when I was informed that there was inexplicable and unpredictable construction. And that it would be causing a delay of 80 minutes (pushing my arrival well past the time my presentation was scheduled for). And that I wouldn't be able to make a call.
The remainder of the journey, trapped in a second-class car next to a morbidly obese woman (I chose that seat, but when I realized my mistake I thought it would be too impolite to get up and change seats) was needless to say, rather torturous. And the fact that the delay *didn't* actually occur made things only slightly better. These DB people should go work in Abu Ghraib, these methods of customer intimidation are akin to spraying prisoners with fluorescent paint and having them believe it's radioactive (when it's not).
Anyway, I somehow arrived on time and walked (!) to my appointment and was faced with a whole new set of problems. It had been freezing last time I was there and it was freezing today. But I had planned ahead and was wearing a black zipper cardigan, nice and warm. Inside the presentation room, however, it turned out to be quite cozy. Quite warm indeed and about halfway through my (surprisingly short) presentation there was only one thought on my mind: How inappropriate would it be to take of the cardigan? I was wearing a sleeveless shirt underneath. How immodest in Korea. But how about Austria? Meanwhile I did my best to answer questions (and contradicting pretty much everything I had previously claimed). Sweat was starting to run down my forehead. I was hoping it would register as raindrops. I felt my hand again and again trying to take of the sweater, but my Korean conditioning proved tougher. If I learned anything today it's probably how hot flashes must feel. Remind me to be nicer to menopausal women next time.
Other than that, I want to remark on a very interesting phenomenon: just like most Koreans are named Kim, most Austrians seem to be named Roland (Joerg Haider is the exception). I wonder if there is literature on that.
To be continued.