A day behind.
Today’s my last day with internet since I’m a cheapskate and refuse to pay for a full extra week when there are only one and a half days left of my trip.
Yesterday was just a regular day of lectures. In the morning we had Camelia Csora from Elsevier and Ruth Jones from Ingram Digital. Both presentations were very good, but Ms. Jones’ had to be the best of the course. She didn’t just pimp her company but talked about e-publishing in general, trends, and her opinions about what was happening now. She was really smart and funny.
The afternoon visit to Nature Publishing bored me. Not sure why. I think because the room was so warm, it was after lunch, and the presentations were sort of general. I find that when marketing people speak, it’s not as dynamic since the marketing people don’t work directly on the projects (at least in my own marketing experience).
But when the people who are directly involved in the projects speak, like the guy at ProQuest talking about the Paley Center database, then it’s interesting because they’re excited and know all the cool stuff about the project.
I’ve also found the Scottish speakers to be much livelier. Though a few of the Brits were good, a few were basically talking comas.
We were near King’s Cross train station so I went in to find the Harry Potter replica. There were some girls there also taking pictures, and one insisted on taking mine:
I think you can see me blushing from here.
From King’s Cross I walked to Russell Square. I had heard there were a lot of shops around there, but there weren’t, at least not that I could find. It was no loss because there was a pretty park with a lovely arbor:
From there I walked to Somerset House, which one of my friends had recommended. I walked on King’s Way, which totally got me lost the last time I walked it, or rather I got myself lost. But this time I knew where I was on the map and made it to my destination.
It was a beautiful day.
It’s only as I’m nearing my stay that I’ve finally figured out my immediate area. In the beginning I’d keep walking all the way down Tottenham Court Road, past my turn off so that I ended up looping around to get to Charlotte Street. Finally yesterday I realized where to get onto Goodge Street, where all the restaurants are.
For dinner I picked up a curry chicken katsu for 4.90 with a side of Japanese pickles for 1.90. In the morning I had an OJ for 1.50, lunch was Pret for 3.94, and then a snack of Pret yogurt and water for 3.49. Grand total: 15.73, still under budget.
I spent the evening doing laundry, Skyping with MB, and playing with my pictures. This morning I ironed my outfits for the rest of my stay. Today and tomorrow we have an e-publishing conference, and I’m wearing business casual, though I’m not sure what the dress code is. We don’t have to be there till about 10.
This morning I also Skyped with MB one last time. He was still up at 3 in the morning. I heard the weather is awful in New York, rainy and chilly one minute, then rainy and hot the next. Bummer, but I’ll be so glad to be home.
I wish I had seen the way to Platform 9 3/4 when I was at Kings Cross!!! Then again, perhaps that was before they put it in.