I've been working as a volunteer at SXSW here in Austin this week. It's been a long week of 9-hour work-days, plus early rising and a commute that involves driving to the bus and then riding in. But it was fun. The work was fairly easy and engaging and the people were nice. In exchange for working, I have a badge to the Interactive and Film portions of the convention.
I got free T-shirts:
And free food -- P Terry's veggie burgers are the best!:
I guarded an elevator:
I missed a cool keynote speech because I was working:
I liked the view from my post at the elevator:
There is cool stuff to see by the Convention Center:
And there's a Ferris wheel downtown - Rides are restricted to badge holders, and I have a badge! I plan to ride it today or tomorrow:
But it's going to be crowded -- this is yesterday's registration line -- so I'm going to get going now.
Looks like you've had fun! I hope you get all the Ferris wheel rides you want--weather's supposed to be great this coming week.
I'll be coming in Monday, not for SXSW, but for an off-time choir practice for Holy Week. I was at choir last week for the first time in weeks, and couldn't sing the whole time (still lingering throat/lung issues) but did get re-acquainted with the music. It's often the most difficult music (and more of it) than we sing any other time of the year, and trickier when an earlier than most Easter means SXSW is filling up downtown during the last weeks of rehearsal.
Traffic is lighter this year than previous years. My friend parked at St. David's last night and said she had no trouble getting downtown from 183 over in your direction and getting into the parking lot.
It's an interesting party down on 6th Street. If you have the energy,it might be worth taking a look after your rehearsal.
I won't have. Our rehearsal won't end until after 9 pm and I won't get home until 11--and I'll be wiped out by then. I'm not a night owl at all; I'm always fading (unless sitting down at the computer and hot on a topic I'm writing about) by 10 pm, even when not recovering from an illness.)
