The Imagine Cup 2006 Kicks off

I spent most of today trying to avoid going to sleep. The plan is that if I can stay awake until my normal bedtime I can get my body into the new time zone by brute force and ignorance.

It didn’t go too well. Every time I sat down my eyes closed automatically and I drifted somewhere with all of the characteristics of sleep except the ones which make you feel better when you wake up.

Joe Wilson opening the presentation

Fortunately I managed to get myself over to the Imagine Cup Final launch event. Joe Wilson of Microsoft showed us some video of students doing great things and then talked a bit about the passion that you need to have to be a developer. Actually, I’m not going to claim to be particularly passionate (at least not in a blog that other people might read) but I do agree that when you are writing a program you are doing a bit more than just stringing statements together to get something to work. You are making something with the aim of making people happy.

From coding for your own amusement to making multi-tiered applications of frightening complexity (like some of the contest entries) the net result of your work should be a bit more happiness in the world (or – at a pinch I guess you could settle for less unhappiness). Whatever, as far as I am concerned this means that you should really engage with your task, respond positively to problems (or challenges as they are sometimes renamed) and work to get others enthused about what you are doing. And of course strive to do the very best you can. Kind of the Imagine Cup in a nutshell I guess.

The next speaker was Sheila Gulati of Microsoft India. She welcomed us all to her country, noted that the ride from Delhi to Agra would make a great XBOX game (it would) and told us of the pride she takes in the progress that her country has made in the software field. Then she said something which I found interesting. She said that people visiting should “let India happen to them” rather trying to view it from the perspective that they brought with them. I’m beginning to see what she means.

These are all around the hotel.

We are presently in the rarefied, air-conditioned environment of one of the poshest hotels I’ve ever been in. Yet there are things around that constantly remind you that you are not in Kansas any more. The beautiful little shrines around the hotel to the various gods, the pleasure that people take in helping you out, the fact that everyone you pass will say “Good Day”, the amount of smiling and eye contact that is involved in even the simplest transaction. For a reserved Englishman like me this is all quite alien, and really rather nice. I’m looking forward to seeing more of the real India later in the week, when the pace slackens a bit and we can go out and take a look around.

But back to the competition and the opening presentation. At the end of the speeches they introduced a drumming double act whose name, to my great shame, I’ve presently forgotten. I’ve not forgotten what they did though. Both of them were amazing, one was surrounded by drums of all kind, and a large smattering of 21^st century technology. The other simply sat down and played what appeared to be a very simple hand drum. Put them together and the range of sounds and the rhythms that they produced were incredible. Their hands were moving so fast that the cameras which were relaying their performance onto the big screen quite literally could not keep up.

They finished off by handing out some instruments so that we could all join in. I got to play a big silver tambourine, which the family will be pleased to hear I will not be taking home. Then they called down all the people from around the world who set up the competition and made it the roaring success it is.

The makers of the Imagine Cup

After that we had our evening meal out in the gardens, inside a giant gazebo, with fans blowing a mist of cool water over us and ever attentive waiters handing us beers. Then, with my body clock finally asserting itself, I staggered back to the room and settled down to a deep sleep.

Journey to Agra

The first thing we had to do was fly to Delhi (actually a plane did all the hard work – I just sat and watched telly and luxuriated in the emergency exit seat legroom that I ended up with – thanks BA). Once at Delhi we caught a bus to a complex just outside town for a quick wash and brush up before the ride to Agra, competition HQ for the next few days.

Everyone has been fantastically welcoming. The team who greeted us at the first pit stop were really excited about having us here. We were a bit jaded, in that we had just had a long flight. But to us it was just early evening. To the home team it was after midnight, and they had obviously been working like mad all day to set things up for our arrival. To get from Delhi to Agra we had a four hour night drive. At first it was dark, but as we got to our destination the sun came up and we got to see more of the countryside.

Agra sunrise

Driving in India is interesting. It involves a lot more use of the horn than back home. And there is always the possibility that might be a cow stood in the middle of the carriageway just around the next corner. When the road side cafes feel the urge to drum up trade they simply put up a road block outside their establishment to give you more time to read about their special offers.

However we all got here safe and sound after around a days solid travelling. (I felt quite proud of this until we met up with one of the Microsoft chaps from Seattle, who had spent 47 hours getting here).

The courtyard outside the room

The hotel is very impressive. Nice and cool and with big rooms and the most attentive staff I have ever experienced. Everyone seems determined to do their utmost to make your stay a really happy one. I think they are going to succeed.

Reverse Jetlag

This is the first time that I have ever flown east on a trip away. The fact that I have up until now only flown west, never had a problem coming home, and anyway there is only a four and a half hour time difference to India has lulled me into a false sense of security.

I feel my head has been injected with rice pudding under pressure. The thinking bits in my brain are fighting with other bits which only want to sleep. If the following posts don’t make much sense then that is pretty much par for the course from me. If they seem dafter and more ramblesome then ever then I apologise, I hope that normal service (and mental function) will be resumed soon.

Go Belgian!

After having arrived and got unpacked we headed back into the city for a “Good Luck” meal. Andy Sithers had heard good things about a Belgian restaurant and so we went there. In my mind Belgium is famous for two things; chocolate and not being famous for much. I really had no idea what to expect.

Andy Sithers said we should take the stairs at Covent Garden. So we did. On the way up and on the way down..

It turns out that Belgium cuisine is actually great stuff. The Belgians (or at least the ones that operate the place we went to) are very good at sea food and a whole bunch of great tasting dishes. We all had something different and it was all wonderful. They make their own beer too, which is also good stuff. And, for reasons which were never properly explained, they also serve all this dressed as Trappist monks. If you are after excellent food you should go there.

The team with their beer menus. Like the sound of that.

Tube travel

Tube Travel

The flight leaves tomorrow morning, and so we are having a night at the airport so we can get an early start. The train journey was smooth and on time. Then I had to face around an hour on the tube to get out to the airport, which I suppose could have been worse. It wasn’t that hot, but the carriages were packed and I had the dubious pleasure of staring at someone’s armpit for much of the journey. I don’t think they enjoyed the experience much either.