In less than 24 hours I'll be going through security checks, hoping my stopover in Warsaw will go smoothly. Nothing is packed yet, but the credit card that was eaten by a voracious ATM at the beginning of the week has been replaced, gifts have been purchased for various people, included the couple who will be hosting me for three nights, pants have been hemmed. Still not convinced that the new card will work in Danish machines. My cell phone company has just replaced my trusty old "dumb" phone with a brand new "smart" one in hopes I'll use lots of apps and internet services. That smart phone will undoubtedly make me look stupid as I fumble with the screen or, most likely, stare at a blank screen after I forget to charge the damn thing. I'm also going to be typing out these posts on a miniature keyboard with a bluetooth connection to a tablet, rather than schlepping a full-size laptop with me everywhere, so more than anything, this post is a trial run to see how many typos I end up with.
Still to do: go over the tons of emails I have been getting from the organization to figure out what I am meant to do and where I am meant to go. I live in a culture in which people tend to "show up and see what happens." (Last-minute flights where you throw some stuff in a bag and just show up at the airport to see what's available are very popular in Israel.) But the hints I've been getting are that I should arrive with a thought-out, well planned schedule in hand. They have even kindly sent a list of "hot" topics for journalists, including an intriguing tour of the Beijing genomics institute.
I'm planning in saving all that information in my electronic devices, and packing several chargers. Maybe I"ll write them down, just in case.
See you there.
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