Re: [68ATTENDEES] Hilton Prague

Randall Gellens <randy@qualcomm.com> Fri, 23 March 2007 23:31 UTC

Return-path: <68attendees-bounces@ietf.org>
Received: from [127.0.0.1] (helo=stiedprmman1.va.neustar.com) by megatron.ietf.org with esmtp (Exim 4.43) id 1HUtEO-0007Jv-8C; Fri, 23 Mar 2007 19:31:36 -0400
Received: from [10.91.34.44] (helo=ietf-mx.ietf.org) by megatron.ietf.org with esmtp (Exim 4.43) id 1HUtEN-0007Jp-4V for 68attendees@ietf.org; Fri, 23 Mar 2007 19:31:35 -0400
Received: from numenor.qualcomm.com ([129.46.51.58]) by ietf-mx.ietf.org with esmtp (Exim 4.43) id 1HUroO-00029x-1E for 68attendees@ietf.org; Fri, 23 Mar 2007 18:00:41 -0400
Received: from sabrina.qualcomm.com (sabrina.qualcomm.com [129.46.61.150]) by numenor.qualcomm.com (8.13.6/8.12.5/1.0) with ESMTP id l2NM0aKn028580 (version=TLSv1/SSLv3 cipher=DHE-RSA-AES256-SHA bits=256 verify=FAIL); Fri, 23 Mar 2007 15:00:37 -0700
Received: from [[10.0.0.54]] (vpn-10-50-16-82.qualcomm.com [10.50.16.82]) by sabrina.qualcomm.com (8.13.6/8.13.6/1.0) with ESMTP id l2NM0VOE024434; Fri, 23 Mar 2007 15:00:33 -0700
Mime-Version: 1.0
Message-Id: <p06240605c229fc1408eb@[[10.0.0.54]]>
In-Reply-To: <20070323082654.P70313@protagonist.smi.sendmail.com>
References: <OF921C80D0.18881DC6-ON852572A7.002E178E-852572A7.002E8964@csc.com> <460392E7.4010106@kniveton.com> <20070323082654.P70313@protagonist.smi.sendmail.com>
X-Mailer: Eudora for Mac OS X
X-message-flag: Warning: Outlook in use. Upgrade to Eudora: <http://www.eudora.com>
Date: Fri, 23 Mar 2007 15:00:26 -0700
To: "Murray S. Kucherawy" <msk@sendmail.com>, 68attendees@ietf.org
From: Randall Gellens <randy@qualcomm.com>
Subject: Re: [68ATTENDEES] Hilton Prague
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format="flowed"
X-Random-Sig-Tag: 1.0b28
X-Spam-Score: 0.0 (/)
X-Scan-Signature: 5a9a1bd6c2d06a21d748b7d0070ddcb8
Cc:
X-BeenThere: 68attendees@ietf.org
X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.5
Precedence: list
List-Id: "Mailing list for IETF 68 attendees." <68attendees.ietf.org>
List-Unsubscribe: <https://www1.ietf.org/mailman/listinfo/68attendees>, <mailto:68attendees-request@ietf.org?subject=unsubscribe>
List-Archive: <http://www1.ietf.org/pipermail/68attendees>
List-Post: <mailto:68attendees@ietf.org>
List-Help: <mailto:68attendees-request@ietf.org?subject=help>
List-Subscribe: <https://www1.ietf.org/mailman/listinfo/68attendees>, <mailto:68attendees-request@ietf.org?subject=subscribe>
Errors-To: 68attendees-bounces@ietf.org

At 8:36 AM -0700 3/23/07, Murray S. Kucherawy wrote:

>  Unlike all of the people complaining, I had a terrific visit.  The 
> conference was productive, the Hilton staff was friendly and 
> responsive, there was hot water aplenty, the food was delicious 
> (especially the giant included breakfast buffet), the concierge was 
> very helpful, the room very comfortable, and the elevators fast.  I 
> spent a good chunk of time yesterday and today walking around all 
> over Prague both in groups or alone with my camera out, both by day 
> and by night, and was not pickpocketed, harrassed or otherwise 
> bothered by anyone other than the rain today.

We're all very glad to hear this.  Many others had the same good 
experiences, but that does not mean that the unfortunate experiences 
of those who were pickpocketed are invalid.

>  I simply avoided smoky areas of the hotel;

This is much easier said than done, especially if one is here to 
participate in WGs and the plenary, since the Congress rooms (all 
three) are especially smokey.  Personally, my allergies forced me to 
retreat from both plenary sessions after about 90 minutes, and those 
who saw me know that I was really pushing my limits.  Likewise, the 
hotel's so-called non-smoking restaurant, proudly billed as such, was 
so smokey (because of people just in front of it smoking) that others 
at our working lunch saw my eyes go from normal to extremely 
bloodshot within a few minutes, as the rhinorrhea and breathing 
difficulties made productive work difficult and painful.  The 
mezzanine level rooms were much better than the Congress rooms, but 
still unpleasant.

While I am of course happy for you that you are not sensitive to 
smoke, I find it insulting that you seem to think that everyone else 
is like you; it demeans those who have physical difficulties with 
smoke.

>  I find complaints about smoking in a country where that's part of 
> the culture to be silly.

Spoken like someone who is not bothered by it.  Good for you, but 
please don't let your personal experience blind you to that of others.

>    Would we allow smoking in a non-smoking hotel back home if a 
> delegation of Czechs held a conference there?  Of course not. 
> We're guests in their culture.  "Stop smoking!  We bring a lot of 
> money here!" is a singularly western point of view and I find it a 
> little embarrassing.

Maybe so.  How about "Accept evolving cultural norms, and allow those 
who come to your country to do work (and spend money) to actually do 
that work."?

-- 
Randall Gellens
Opinions are personal;    facts are suspect;    I speak for myself only
-------------- Randomly-selected tag: ---------------
Deja Moo: The feeling that you've heard this bull before.

_______________________________________________
68ATTENDEES mailing list
68ATTENDEES@ietf.org
https://www1.ietf.org/mailman/listinfo/68attendees