African Language Conference

I had a dream last night that I found out that Robert had worked as a model for a children's picture book.  He was the famous Blumentopf,  (Flower pot) a beloved children's character.  This probably comes from a German children's character named Pumuckl.  He's a little red-headed kobold, and Robert loves him.  Still, hee hee, Blumentopf!  No clue where that came from!

I woke up at noon!  And I did NOTHING!  I sat around, and played on the internet.  And well, ok, I did my dishes and listened to science Friday on NPR.  But otherwise I was lazy.  And I don't feel guilty at all.

They talked about a really cool new technology that might just save the world.  Nano antennas (or nantennas.)  They're these teensy antennas that are able to gather infrared energy.  This means they can absorb the solar energy that the earth gives off (heat) long after the sun has gone down!  Super solar power!  They're also super efficient: they can absorb 80% of the heat energy put off!  The problem is that most of the stuff we use can't handle the high frequency of the energy (normal plugs are set up for 60Hz, and these nantennas produce ten thousand billion Hz!!!!)  But they're working on finding an efficient way to convert the energy!  The guy they interviewed today was talking about a typical morning with these nantennas which included a toaster, a hybrid car, an iPod run from the heat coming off the engine, a t-shirt (for keeping your body cool!) and wallpaper that serves as the building's climate control!!!  Wow!  I mean, wow!  

Around 3:30 I met up with Joel's friend, Marieke, and her colleague, Laura (British).  Both girls worked on a project to document dying African languages (!) in Camaroon, and both are giving papers at the conference this year.  We met for coffee, and chatted, and then I took them to the building where the conference will be held so they could register.  We met a bunch of researchers from all over, and decided to go out for pizza.  So, Marieke (Germany), Laura (UK), Naho (Japan), Robert (US), Maya (Japan), Jamal (Tanzania), (and their son, whose name I never got, but who was GORGEOUS and tiny and perfect!) and I met up with Julia (Germany) and jammed out on pizza and linguistics!  It was just a great day!  So many hyper-interesting people talking about unbelievably interesting things!  I'll probably be sitting in on a few talks.  There are two talks on Ancient Egyptian languages!  :-D  It is so nice to be among people with similar interests!  Or, rather, this particular interest.  It doesn't happen often! 

Laura and Marieke are staying tonight in a hostel in Nordwijk.  But they'll be staying with me for the rest of the conference since Nordwijk is far away, and my room is free!  :-)  They were both very cute about it, because I could tell they really wanted to stay with me, but didn't want to put me out.  They just wouldn't believe that I totally love to have guests!  They thought I was just being polite.  They just don't understand Southern hospitality!  :-D

Now I'm watching a show about India (in German.)  It's a seriously cool show!  People walking around, stepping over cobras (or letting cobras slither over their feet!)  People with otters on leashes (to help catch fish!)  People bathing in the river with their elephants.  Just beautiful!  I want to go.