Well, it’s already more than a week since we have back, so I figured I owed you a wee update. Winterschool 2008 went by just too fast; The Namesake, Ali Nadeem, the Skippyboy, Blondie, and I all had a great time there. Unfortunately, this year’s programme didn’t contain that much relevant information for me, and while I also feel some parts could be improved (for example the overcrowded schedule), I still look back with many happy feelings to the week spent in Innsbruck. Again it was a week of getting to know people in the field of e-learning and meeting again with people we met earlier at the previous Winterschool or Summerschool; luckily most of the people were splendid company, which we also noticed at the Wednesday, when we formed bonds sledging down a mountain and on Thursday, going into Innsbruck for the evening for a jolly night full of laughter, pints of vitamine G, and crappy pizza’s. It seems to me that these events were even most important, because these are were real contacts are made; first getting to know each other personally, can lead to lasting contacts and maybe even joint work in a later period. Apart from this, I think for me, the very last lecture, given by Scott Wilson about Notification/Awareness systems and OpenId, was most useful and interesting. Luckily, this year we did not have to drive back all the way from Innsbruck and the plain ride was far more relaxed than the twelve and a half hour journey(inclusive two hours of traffic jam in the middle of nowhere) back then.
Finally, I do not want you to miss the Namesake’s account of my great sledging skills, which resulted in the two of us almost dying, me from almost hitting a tree, and him from sheer laughter, so here we go:
Wednesday and what a day! I almost never have laughed so hard, or have been scared for my life! This of course alludes to the sledding day! The Namesake, I, Danish and Enrique forged a bond of men, as we sledded down the DEEP incline! Of course nothing comes easy and there were mistakes a plenty, one of which had the Namesake hurtling down the mountain his arms flailing, him shouting “oh f*ck” as he hurtled with the help of good ol Newton, on his sled. I doubled and nearly fell down, laughing my ass off. Till now that memory of the Namesake flailing around as he hurtled half-way down the mountain, really makes me laugh my butt off. Well done m8! [from: http://tim.sodhis.net/2008/02/24/back-from-innsbruck/ ]