Thanks to a lot of people, I am able to attend this years Lotusphere. In case you don’t know: Lotusphere ist IBMs/Lotus’ big technical event where they present new products and strategies and where you can talk with a lot of developers and fellow geeks.

I just flew in from vienna – and boy, my arms are tired! [Ba-dump-bum, Ching!]

Ok, that old joke out of the way, let me just briefly recap my flight. The flight from Vienna to Washington was uneventfull. As always, I flew AUA in a nice bute almost full Airbus. Quite a few kids and babys on the plain, but they behaved.

Security was, as always a joke. Laptop out of the bag, back into the case. Touchy-feely check in Vienna. The poor guy didn’t even wore rubbergloves. If I would have been a terrorist, he would have found a thing, but well …

Immigration was „fun” as always. I had luck and arrived in the first of shuttle-busses which connect the different Gates at Dulles. After the usual „How longa are you going to stay, what is your profession, etc.” i passed through customs, checked my baggage in again (it was checked in in Vienna, but you have to carry through customs by hand) went over to the next security-chepoint in front of the national gates. Take the laptop out of the bag, etc, you know the drill. As a bonus, you have to remove your shoes. Is is really fun to walk on a cold, dirty airport floor only in your socks.

Well, passing through in a breeze, I arrived at Gate C19 precisly at check-in time. For this flight I got a middle-seat which I hate. My hopes of moving to another row where immediately crushed by the fligh-attendant which announced a „full flight”.

Two minutes before take off, there were still a few seats, even rows empty. The reason for that became soon clear. A flight from germany was late, immigration took too much time, many passengers were missing and the captain/airline decided to wait for them.

As it turned out, all the missing passengers were Lotusphere attendants, even a few known faces. Amongst them Robert Schneider, with whom I had the pleasure to present the IBM Lotus After Business Event 2004 in Vienna. Thanks to them, we left Dulles one hour late. :(

The second flight that day was cramped but otherwise uneventful. Baggage claim was swift, and I didn’t even have to wait long for my Mears shuttel to the Walt Disney World Dolphin hotel.

Arriving there around 9pm local time, I stumbled accross Mark Schilling, who suggested a dring at the ESPN Sportsbar. After I quick shower I went out for a few beers.

Red eyed, dead tired, with a slight headache and with black rings under my eyes I went to bed around 12pm after a 20+ hours day.

Tagged as: Ein_Tag_im_Leben, IBM, Lotus, Lotusphere2006, Notes, orlando, travel | Author: Martin Leyrer
[Montag, 20060123, 04:18 | permanent link | 0 Kommentar(e)