Apple usually holds a bash on Thursday night at the Apple Campus in Cupertino, but this year they opted to hold it in San Francisco’s Yerba Buena Gardens.  The Gardens are a park about a block away from the Moscone Center (and thus almost across the street from my hotel).  Initially I was disappointed we weren’t going to Cupertino, mainly because we couldn’t go to the corporate store and get nifty Apple clothing.  However Apple did bring some of their stuff to the conference, so that problem was partially solved.

 

So I stroll into the Gardens with our gang, and it’s a large grassy area swarming with attendees.  At the entrance was some food tables with salad and something I didn’t immediately recognize.  Then I see some Chinese lanterns and immediately recognize it as a food station as well.  So not wanting to be just part of the herd, I bolt that way.  Large steamers with dumplings and pot stickers, mmm.  I then see someone with sushi.  Sushi!  Since I missed out earlier in the day, I had to get some.  I found the table, and oh boy, they were making hand rolls from tuna, hamachi, salmon, shrimp, crab, and veggies.  I start snarfing Hamachi almost as fast as it’s made.  Had about 4 when I saw someone with a bratwurst, then nachos, then stir-fry noodles.  Apple had been stingy all week with lunch, apparently they blew their budget on the bash.

 

 

After the band ended, I decided to stroll around and observe the wild geek in his non-native habitat.  There were clusters of guys, more clusters of guys, and the occasional clusters of guys around one girl.  Oh yes, guys outnumber girls by about 100 to 1 at this conference.  But what were these guys talking about?  Geek stuff of course!

 

I’m so glad I’m married, and I’m ready to come home to her.