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Travelogue Malaga Day 2

Malaga, Spain

2012.04.14

We wake up an hour before the conference starts. More accurately, HG wakes up and I get up.

She runs out and grabs us two cups of joe, some bread, and a sandwich for me while I get dressed and quickly go over my presentation. Wolf it all down before dashing out the door.

Sandwich in Malaga, Spain

I hoof it over to the Picasso Museum but promptly get lost. An Australian bartender sets me on my way.

Him: It’s over there, between those two buildings.
Me: The alley?
Him: (laughs) That’s a street, mate; alleys you can barely squeeze into here.

A few stressful minutes later,  run into several people that heard me speak last year before I settle into an orange chair in the rear.

Her: Mr. Lo! How are you? (later) Hopefully it’s not as exciting as it was last year when that woman yelled at you.
Me: It wasn’t so bad; at least everyone remembers me.

Cause of technical difficulties, we break for coffee early. During the intermission, a reporter asks if she can interview me. After I nod, she asks about my presentation.

Me: Technology has changed so much recently, especially since I was a kid, and probably the same for most people. For example, how old are you?
Her: um, 21.
Me: Well, I don’t have any examples for you then.

After several other presentations, it’s finally my turn.

Me: The First Amendment – Freedom of Speech – is what Americans are known for. Well, that and McDonalds.

Silence. Complete and utter silence.Then five seconds later, laughter.

I forget that they’re translating what I say into French and Spanish. Relieved, I continue and my jokes elicit the polite laughter I’m expecting. Soon, I smile and finish on time. No one screams at me.

Afterward, we’re at lunch where I end up sitting with some Germans.

Her: You taught yourself German because you couldn’t sleep? Why?
Me: Why not?

Food in Malaga, Spain

Waiters come with small sandwiches and olives. The olives are terribly bitter so I have a sandwich. It’s great – Spanish ham and a soft cheese.

So I have another. It’s blue cheese and tuna. I almost gag so I put it off to the side. Taking a bite of another, it’s different fish and cheese sandwich. Again, I almost gag.

Server: Beer?
Me: Please!

Soon, I have a pile of half-eaten sandwiches on my plate and decide that bitter olives aren’t so bad after all. We Americans are so spoiled when it comes to food.

Bellies full, we head back to the conference but not before I realize that we were just noshing about 100 feet from a 2,000 year old Roman Theater.

The Roman Theater in Malaga, Spain

Back inside, stay for the other American to finish her speech as a sign of solidarity but then I can’t stay awake for the second half of the presentations so I head back to the hotel to rest.

End up working on a few things instead of resting before I run back to the conference hall for drinks.

Outside, several wine tables are set up and I have a glass of white. Then a glass of red. Then a glass of a dessert wine.

Sommelier: What do you normally drink?
Me: Rum.
Him: Such a shame; we have none.
Me: That really is a shame.

Afterward, take a meandering walk back to the hotel as I take in the sights. There’s something beautiful everywhere.

Sculpture in Malaga, Spain

The Spanish have this habit of having dinner at 10PM so they invite HG and me out to eat. Tell them it’s too late for us but, as luck would have it, I run across them as I head home. They insist I come in for a bite but I tell them I can’t as I give them a rueful nod.

After a pleasant night, have an agonizing night as I don’t sleep for more than an hour.

When I wake up, I look down at my hands and notice they’re shaking again.

Dammit.

Malaga, Spain

Location: getting ready for work at home
Mood: groggy
Music: Get sucked in and stuck in late nights
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8 replies on “Travelogue Malaga Day 2”

Happy belated birthday Logan!!!! I missed commenting while I was away but hope you had a great birthday (and Spain looks lovely by the way).

Speaking of that age thing, we were having a conversation how we're reluctant about new hires because now they're born in the 90's. The 90's!

Thanks – I can't tell you how nice it is that you're still around and still reading. You're actually one of the reasons I keep writing, actually.

My birthday was quiet and uneventful, which is exactly what I wanted since the week before I was in Spain and it was WAY too eventful. Downtime is so important.

I know, I was chatting with that reporter I mentioned and I couldn't believe that she was born in the 90s. *sigh* Getting older is better than the alternative I suppose but still…

I am reading! Just often on the road with spotty connections and just the text on a rss feed reader. But I'm back home now and I know exactly how you felt about your birthday. There's something decadent about sitting still isn't there?

The last hire we had was born in '89. I've just decided to make my 29th birthday be an annual event. You know, "this is my nth annual 29th birthday party". We're asian (well me sorta) and can get away with it. 😉

The hell? I missed your birthday and apparently you are/were frolicking somewhere in Spain. Welps, happy belated! I heard meal time lasts all the way til midnight over there. Plus there's also siesta. My kind of country!

Ha! Thanks – you're another reason why I keep blogging.

The siestas are great if you live there, but lemme tell you that as a tourist, it's completely confounding! That plus we couldn't get a lick of sleep at night.

Hmmm, didn't think of that from a tourist's perspective. But that shoulda worked out for you. Since you couldn't sleep at night, maybe you coulda caught up on it during siesta and then stay up all night to eat? Ugh, now I'm hungry agian.

Sorry to hear about your possible insomia. Hope it was just jet lag.

Luckily, it turned out to be (mostly) jet lag but I've got to say, it was pretty freaky when it was going on. I think the last time I had three days of no sleep was three or four years ago. Very not fun.

And now I'm hungry again too. It's a vicious circle.

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