I recently returned from a trip to Australia, where I gave a keynote at the Australasian Computer Science Week, the annual gathering of computer scientists from Australia and New Zealand. You can see a journalist's account of what I talked about here.
There is a small but very strong database community in Australia, and I encourage anyone who has a chance to go down under and visit. The strength of the community was apparent when two of the three major annual awards were given for database work. Heng Tao Shen from the University of Queensland received the Chris Wallace Award. This is the top prize given for technical achievements across all fields of computer science (full professors are not eligible for this prize). Heng Tao made his mark spanning the fields of databases and multi-media.
The second award was the Ph.D Thesis Award that went to Michael Cahill who received his Ph.D from the University of Sydney under the guidance of my friend (and excellent cook!) Alan Fekete. Michael and Alan also received the Best Paper Award at SIGMOD 2008 for this work on serializable isolation for snapshot databases.
I was very fortunate to spend time with these winners. Heng Tao was my wonderful host in Brisbane and helped make a long-time dream come true -- sitting on a sunny beach in the middle of January (in Gold Coast). When I went to Sydney, Alan took me to an espresso machine making factory, where I got to see up close how these machines are made!
The coffee in Australia is amazing, and will be the subject of a different post. But if you're going to Australia and need coffee, check out my list of favorite cafes and you'll be happy.
Showing posts with label travel. Show all posts
Showing posts with label travel. Show all posts
Saturday, February 6, 2010
Monday, March 9, 2009
Coffee: a Competitive Sport
I went up to Portland, Oregon last week to attend the 2009 United States Barista Championship. No, I was not competing, and unfortunately, not one of the judges either.
You can see all my pictures here.
Portland, by the way, has the largest number of cafes per-capita in the US and has a very active and sophisticated coffee scene (I'm sure you appreciate how hard it is for an ex-Seattle resident to admit this). If you're in town, check out Stumptown Coffee.
The competitors came from all over the country, including the expected share of west-coast baristas and even a guy applying all the charm of a cowboy into his espresso drinks. There were quite a few baristas from Intelligetsia Coffee & Tea, including 4 out of the 6 finalists and the champion, Mike Phillips.
So how do these folks compete? They basically put on a show for 15 minutes, which initially can be quite deceiving because they look incredibly relaxed. The show includes their choice of background music and often some accents in their clothing. In those 15 minutes, they need to prepare espressos, cappuccinos and their "signature drink". They prepare 4 of each, for each of the sensory judges.
All this while, the competitors need to show deep knowledge of their coffee, beginning by explaining their choice of blend, and how each of the flavors comes out in the drink. As they prepare the drinks, they are closely watched by a couple of technical judges, who are watching for every little detail of handling the espresso machine, waste management and timing. Multiple video cameras are following them very closely as they do this, and every now and then the emcee will elicit a cheer from the crowd (let's have it for Mike's first 2 espressos!). If you want to see an example of a wonderful performance, watch the performance of Stephen Morrissey from Ireland when he won the 2008 World Championship.
It was a fascinating crowd from all walks of the coffee industry. There were many spectators in the bleachers, some were huge coffee fans and others who wondered how exactly they got there, but were having a great time anyway. And of course, there was an amazing buzz on the floor around each of the competitors' bars -- after all, everyone in the room was caffeinated...
Finally, the awesomeness of the experience came out most poignantly when I was having a conversation with one of the other attendees and I mentioned to him that I work for Google. He asked: what part of Google do you work for? Food services?
You can see all my pictures here.
Portland, by the way, has the largest number of cafes per-capita in the US and has a very active and sophisticated coffee scene (I'm sure you appreciate how hard it is for an ex-Seattle resident to admit this). If you're in town, check out Stumptown Coffee.
The competitors came from all over the country, including the expected share of west-coast baristas and even a guy applying all the charm of a cowboy into his espresso drinks. There were quite a few baristas from Intelligetsia Coffee & Tea, including 4 out of the 6 finalists and the champion, Mike Phillips.
So how do these folks compete? They basically put on a show for 15 minutes, which initially can be quite deceiving because they look incredibly relaxed. The show includes their choice of background music and often some accents in their clothing. In those 15 minutes, they need to prepare espressos, cappuccinos and their "signature drink". They prepare 4 of each, for each of the sensory judges.
All this while, the competitors need to show deep knowledge of their coffee, beginning by explaining their choice of blend, and how each of the flavors comes out in the drink. As they prepare the drinks, they are closely watched by a couple of technical judges, who are watching for every little detail of handling the espresso machine, waste management and timing. Multiple video cameras are following them very closely as they do this, and every now and then the emcee will elicit a cheer from the crowd (let's have it for Mike's first 2 espressos!). If you want to see an example of a wonderful performance, watch the performance of Stephen Morrissey from Ireland when he won the 2008 World Championship.
It was a fascinating crowd from all walks of the coffee industry. There were many spectators in the bleachers, some were huge coffee fans and others who wondered how exactly they got there, but were having a great time anyway. And of course, there was an amazing buzz on the floor around each of the competitors' bars -- after all, everyone in the room was caffeinated...
Finally, the awesomeness of the experience came out most poignantly when I was having a conversation with one of the other attendees and I mentioned to him that I work for Google. He asked: what part of Google do you work for? Food services?
Saturday, January 3, 2009
A Trip to Vietnam
I just got back from a great trip to Vietnam! (see pictures). Let me first introduce my travel buddy, since he made the trip what it was.
Anhai Doan is a former Ph.D student of mine (he makes sure I emphasize the 'former' part, and adds it himself when I accidentaly forget). Anhai grew up in Vietnam and left after highschool to do his college studies in Hungary, and then went to the U.S for graduate studies, where he ultimately ended up at the University of Washington. He is now an associate professor at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. Anhai is the most well known computer scientist from Vietnam (winning the ACM Distinguished Dissertation Award in 2003 made quite a few waves in Vietnam).
I've been planning to tour Vietnam with Anhai for quite a while now, and a few years ago even decided to tell him about this plan. That turned out to be a great decision. Anhai applied his magic at every step of the way, whether it was whispering the right words in peoples' ears, slipping a well deserved tip at the right time, or shielding me with his body until I was authorized to cross a Vietnamese street on my own. Think of a combination of a (junior, Vietnamese) Godfather-type figure with the potential of some day being a Jewish mother. Since Anhai left right after highschool, he did not see much of the country, and this opportunity gave him the chance to do so.
Anhai does have a few more white hairs than he had before the trip and I take responsibility for that (but I think it's a fair trade for a signature on one's Ph.D dissertation).
We started out in Hanoi -- a city with very strong character with its Old Town full of specialty shops, French Quarter with a very appropriate feel (including the bakeries!), and the promenade around Hoan Kiem Lake at the center. In the middle of Old Town, we found the Green Tangerine Restaurant that was absolutely wonderful (French with Vietnamese influence).
We then went on the mandatory (but very worthwhile) trip to Halong Bay with its many small peaks. We spent a night on a boat there (with a bunch of Australians, the latest invadors to Vietnam). That night was a soccer game (first of two matches) between Vietnam and Thailand, the great rivalry of Southwest Asia. Surprisingly, Vietnam won, which meant the boat crew was ecstatic, and with it being Xmas eve, they started pouring free drinks (accompanied by dried squid from the bay). The second half of the soccer story occurs while we're in Saigon. The next morning, while kayaking in the bay, Anhai and I discovered that kayaking is a team sport, and we have some work to do on that front.
We then flew to Nha Trang, a beach town/resort. It was rainy there, but we still had a good time hanging out in the cafes and even had a schnitzel (I don't think Anhai will ever forgive me for that cultural experience). From there we drove (i.e., sat in the back of a car) to Da Lat, a beautiful city nestled in the mountains, and a resort for Saigonians who need to escape the heat. Also a city with a nice lake in the middle and an amazing variety of flowers.
In Da Lat I was introduced to the Vietnamese 'custom' of serving complimentary tea even when you order coffee. Speaking of coffee, it was a mixed experience. At times, Anhai managed to explain to baristas how to make my macchiatones, and in others we drank Vietnamese coffee.
From Da Lat we drove to Saigon, a much more business-like city than Hanoi and more steeped in history of the American War. The night we got there was the second of the two soccer games, and the result was a draw, meaning that Vietnam won the Suzuki Cup.
Within minutes of the game's end, the streets were flooded with happy Vietnamese. And I mean happy! Literally, you could not move amongst the people and their mopeds. Anhai got me a little Vietnamese flag and we started making our way through the crowds. Being a foreigner and on the tall side by Vietnamese standards, I drew quite a bit of attention. Every time I waved my little flag, I drew cheers and smiles -- almost as if I was the one who scored the winning goal! It was a totally amazing experience!
From Saigon we took a two-day trip to the Mekong Delta, which has now been added to my list of candidate places to retire. Imagine your life when all you need to do for lunch is go to your back yard and fish for a few minutes or pick some fresh fruit from a tree (yes, they have wifi everywhere there too!). It was really fascinating to see how life is arranged when water is such an integral part of your landscape (the delta is actually made of 9 different strands of the Mekong River).
We celebrated New Year's Eve with Anhai's highschool friends in Saigon. That was a great chance to get a glimpse of the life of young professionals in Vietnam, which brought home the point that this country has an amazing future, judging by its people's character and how far they've come in the last 20 years. I'm already thinking of my next trip there!
Anhai Doan is a former Ph.D student of mine (he makes sure I emphasize the 'former' part, and adds it himself when I accidentaly forget). Anhai grew up in Vietnam and left after highschool to do his college studies in Hungary, and then went to the U.S for graduate studies, where he ultimately ended up at the University of Washington. He is now an associate professor at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. Anhai is the most well known computer scientist from Vietnam (winning the ACM Distinguished Dissertation Award in 2003 made quite a few waves in Vietnam).
I've been planning to tour Vietnam with Anhai for quite a while now, and a few years ago even decided to tell him about this plan. That turned out to be a great decision. Anhai applied his magic at every step of the way, whether it was whispering the right words in peoples' ears, slipping a well deserved tip at the right time, or shielding me with his body until I was authorized to cross a Vietnamese street on my own. Think of a combination of a (junior, Vietnamese) Godfather-type figure with the potential of some day being a Jewish mother. Since Anhai left right after highschool, he did not see much of the country, and this opportunity gave him the chance to do so.
Anhai does have a few more white hairs than he had before the trip and I take responsibility for that (but I think it's a fair trade for a signature on one's Ph.D dissertation).
We started out in Hanoi -- a city with very strong character with its Old Town full of specialty shops, French Quarter with a very appropriate feel (including the bakeries!), and the promenade around Hoan Kiem Lake at the center. In the middle of Old Town, we found the Green Tangerine Restaurant that was absolutely wonderful (French with Vietnamese influence).
We then went on the mandatory (but very worthwhile) trip to Halong Bay with its many small peaks. We spent a night on a boat there (with a bunch of Australians, the latest invadors to Vietnam). That night was a soccer game (first of two matches) between Vietnam and Thailand, the great rivalry of Southwest Asia. Surprisingly, Vietnam won, which meant the boat crew was ecstatic, and with it being Xmas eve, they started pouring free drinks (accompanied by dried squid from the bay). The second half of the soccer story occurs while we're in Saigon. The next morning, while kayaking in the bay, Anhai and I discovered that kayaking is a team sport, and we have some work to do on that front.
We then flew to Nha Trang, a beach town/resort. It was rainy there, but we still had a good time hanging out in the cafes and even had a schnitzel (I don't think Anhai will ever forgive me for that cultural experience). From there we drove (i.e., sat in the back of a car) to Da Lat, a beautiful city nestled in the mountains, and a resort for Saigonians who need to escape the heat. Also a city with a nice lake in the middle and an amazing variety of flowers.
In Da Lat I was introduced to the Vietnamese 'custom' of serving complimentary tea even when you order coffee. Speaking of coffee, it was a mixed experience. At times, Anhai managed to explain to baristas how to make my macchiatones, and in others we drank Vietnamese coffee.
From Da Lat we drove to Saigon, a much more business-like city than Hanoi and more steeped in history of the American War. The night we got there was the second of the two soccer games, and the result was a draw, meaning that Vietnam won the Suzuki Cup.
Within minutes of the game's end, the streets were flooded with happy Vietnamese. And I mean happy! Literally, you could not move amongst the people and their mopeds. Anhai got me a little Vietnamese flag and we started making our way through the crowds. Being a foreigner and on the tall side by Vietnamese standards, I drew quite a bit of attention. Every time I waved my little flag, I drew cheers and smiles -- almost as if I was the one who scored the winning goal! It was a totally amazing experience!
From Saigon we took a two-day trip to the Mekong Delta, which has now been added to my list of candidate places to retire. Imagine your life when all you need to do for lunch is go to your back yard and fish for a few minutes or pick some fresh fruit from a tree (yes, they have wifi everywhere there too!). It was really fascinating to see how life is arranged when water is such an integral part of your landscape (the delta is actually made of 9 different strands of the Mekong River).
We celebrated New Year's Eve with Anhai's highschool friends in Saigon. That was a great chance to get a glimpse of the life of young professionals in Vietnam, which brought home the point that this country has an amazing future, judging by its people's character and how far they've come in the last 20 years. I'm already thinking of my next trip there!
Friday, November 28, 2008
A Week in Macchiatone-Land
Oriana and I just came back from a trip to northern Italy where we visited Padova, Trento, Venice and Verona. I'm, of course, not qualified as a writer to appropriately describe the Italian experience, so I'll stick to what I know. Some pictures can be found here.
The reason we went to Italy was to visit the University of Trento, where I was recently asked to serve on the advisory committee of the computer science department. It's quite an impressive place! In about 7 years they built a Ph.D. program from scratch and it now has about 200 students. They've also hired quite a few excellent young faculty. They are able to attract students from all over the world (the courses are in English) and it's a very dynamic place. They also have quite a bit of interaction with local industry. If you're looking for a place to do a Ph.D. (and have great coffee in the meantime), this is a great place.
Which brings me to the second topic. Northern Italy is the mecca for my favorite drink, the macchiatone. Whereas in other places in the world I typically need to explain the concept and get a bad approximation of the real thing, in northern Italy you can walk into any cafe and get a great macchiatone. We even visited the original Caffe Del Doge in Venice (and I'm still recovering from the 5.50 euros for that macchiatone). Later I found out that if you drink your coffee standing, then in most places it will cost a mere 90 euro cents! The official explanation I got for this phenomenon is that in Italy coffee represents a short, intense emotion. This trip has given me quite a bit of material for my coffee project (but I'll explain that elsewhere).
Finally, social networks are really cool when you travel. I was able to collect good recommendations on what to do and where to eat through Facebook (thanks, Andrea!). I enjoyed the comments I got on my status messages and uploaded photos during the trip.
The reason we went to Italy was to visit the University of Trento, where I was recently asked to serve on the advisory committee of the computer science department. It's quite an impressive place! In about 7 years they built a Ph.D. program from scratch and it now has about 200 students. They've also hired quite a few excellent young faculty. They are able to attract students from all over the world (the courses are in English) and it's a very dynamic place. They also have quite a bit of interaction with local industry. If you're looking for a place to do a Ph.D. (and have great coffee in the meantime), this is a great place.
Which brings me to the second topic. Northern Italy is the mecca for my favorite drink, the macchiatone. Whereas in other places in the world I typically need to explain the concept and get a bad approximation of the real thing, in northern Italy you can walk into any cafe and get a great macchiatone. We even visited the original Caffe Del Doge in Venice (and I'm still recovering from the 5.50 euros for that macchiatone). Later I found out that if you drink your coffee standing, then in most places it will cost a mere 90 euro cents! The official explanation I got for this phenomenon is that in Italy coffee represents a short, intense emotion. This trip has given me quite a bit of material for my coffee project (but I'll explain that elsewhere).
Finally, social networks are really cool when you travel. I was able to collect good recommendations on what to do and where to eat through Facebook (thanks, Andrea!). I enjoyed the comments I got on my status messages and uploaded photos during the trip.
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
A Tour of South Tel-Aviv
I recently came back from a trip to Israel to visit my parents. One of the highlights of the trip was the tour that my dad gave me of south Tel-Aviv. For many years, the south part of Tel-Aviv was not considered a great area by any stretch of the imagination, but in the last decade or so it has been significantly beautified and is now one of the more chic parts of the city. You can see all the pictures here.
My dad grew up in that part of town, so it was a great treat to follow him for 4 hours as he was pointing out the various landmarks, and moving about with the familiarity that only a teenager has with his neighborhood (albeit over 60 years later).
The tour started around the corner from the apartment his family rented when they first immigrated from Greece to Tel-Aviv. We then went to what used to be the Alliance School, where my dad went to elementary and middle school, across the yard from the girl's school. In later years, the two schools became meeting points for young activists of the rival underground movements in the pre-state days (the Haganah and the Etzel). Now it is the Suzan Dalal theatre.
We then walked through the Neve Tzedek neighborhood with its charming houses and some Bauhaus-style architecture. We got onto Rotchield Avenue, where the rich people used to live (it's not that much cheaper today either). One of the houses there was where Ben Gurion declared Israeli independence in 1948.
We walked through Herzl St. where my grandfather owned a little store, the big Sephardic synagogue where my two aunts and uncle married and paid a quick visit to my dad's highschool. Finally, we got to the very happening Sheinkin St with its cafes and shops. There we looked for a high-school friend of my dad who had a pharmacy there for 50 years, but apparently retired recently (and by chatting with another pharmacist my dad found out things about his friend that he never knew).
We then sat in a cafe for a bit, and that's where I juxtaposed the present with the past. We got the waitress to take a picture of us with my blackberry and then I showed my dad how I'm instantly sharing it with 200 of my best friends on Facebook. Finally, we walked through the Levinsky Market and spent a bunch of money in a deli before heading home for friday lunch.
A few days later I found myself spending a few hours in Prague. Here are some pictures. Clearly, this was just a teaser and I need to go back.
My dad grew up in that part of town, so it was a great treat to follow him for 4 hours as he was pointing out the various landmarks, and moving about with the familiarity that only a teenager has with his neighborhood (albeit over 60 years later).
The tour started around the corner from the apartment his family rented when they first immigrated from Greece to Tel-Aviv. We then went to what used to be the Alliance School, where my dad went to elementary and middle school, across the yard from the girl's school. In later years, the two schools became meeting points for young activists of the rival underground movements in the pre-state days (the Haganah and the Etzel). Now it is the Suzan Dalal theatre.
We then walked through the Neve Tzedek neighborhood with its charming houses and some Bauhaus-style architecture. We got onto Rotchield Avenue, where the rich people used to live (it's not that much cheaper today either). One of the houses there was where Ben Gurion declared Israeli independence in 1948.
We walked through Herzl St. where my grandfather owned a little store, the big Sephardic synagogue where my two aunts and uncle married and paid a quick visit to my dad's highschool. Finally, we got to the very happening Sheinkin St with its cafes and shops. There we looked for a high-school friend of my dad who had a pharmacy there for 50 years, but apparently retired recently (and by chatting with another pharmacist my dad found out things about his friend that he never knew).
We then sat in a cafe for a bit, and that's where I juxtaposed the present with the past. We got the waitress to take a picture of us with my blackberry and then I showed my dad how I'm instantly sharing it with 200 of my best friends on Facebook. Finally, we walked through the Levinsky Market and spent a bunch of money in a deli before heading home for friday lunch.
A few days later I found myself spending a few hours in Prague. Here are some pictures. Clearly, this was just a teaser and I need to go back.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)