I’ll use this entry to keep updating my UK trip experiences for any who are interested in what’s going on over here.
On a personal note, I came over with a cold that – *shudder* – felt and sounded like a case of laryngitis on the ride over, and for my first appearance at the CSFI event, which I literally croaked my way through. Fortunately, with lots of vitamin supplements and happy thoughts, I seem to have converted this into a standard head and chest cold.
The CSFI event yesterday was held in one of those places that says “establishment” – oak-paneled for all 20 feet of the wall height, and leather chairs arranged around a 20×10 foot walnut table, burnished by the centuries. The other panelist was from the Bank of England, and I give her enormous credit for having trundled through a large portion of the Crash Course in order to formulate her remarks/rebuttal to my presentation. The other attendees were mostly very senior members of large banks and consultancies, but also represented a few other professions.
There was a spirited Q&A afterwards, and I am not entirely sure I won any converts (difficult to do with 20 minutes of croaking and no slides), but I bet I planted a few seeds. Overall, I did not detect that they were any closer to understanding my material than any other group that I’ve been in front of. So no large cross-Atlantic difference detected there. Still, it’s hard to tell from a single outing like that.
by davos