Thursday, June 2, 2016

Show time!

Quotes of the week:

Person in elevator: "you don't look like a person who has lost a lot of money." 
Me: "well no - have you??" 
Him: *shrugs* "Eh, about even."
Hokay...

Person walking in same direction as me: "are you drinking coffee? How's that working for your body?" 
Me: "um, fine?"
Him: "see, I haven't had coffee since I was 13, and I'm 31 now."
Me: "on PURPOSE?!?" *why is he telling me this??*

People say the strangest things here in Vegas. Moving on...

Today was my turn behind the presentation podium - show time! To prepare, I needed my daily caffeine boost from the best coffee shop in Vegas (according to the internet) - Sambalatte at the Monte Carlo. I gave a brief presentation about my dissertation work on developing an electrowetting heat pipe, and I received several very encouraging and complimentary remarks afterwards. 


After my own session, I listened to several presentations on thermal management for aerospace applications. I was pleasantly surprised to learn that the NASA Goddard Space Center is pursuing a technology that is a cousin to my work, so perhaps there is a future collaboration opportunity there. I also got to meet a colleague in person who helped me co-author a paper several years ago - I had only ever talked to him on the phone before! How fun to make the connection now that I am nearing the end of my journey with heat pipes.

After dinner, I explored Caesar's Palace, which is one of the largest hotels on the Strip in terms of square footage. Despite what the old episodes of Friends led me to believe, there were no staff members dressed as palace guards. I liked that the outside was designed like an outdoor Roman market. Once again, the shops were made to feel like Rome, but the entire ambiance was very purple-blue. So...Rome at dusk? Not quite sure.
Outdoor market style (top), the hotel lobby (bottom left), and the hotel entrance (bottom right)
In any case, I grabbed a coffee and headed over to the Saxe Theater for "Vegas! The Show" to top off the night. The show is a re-creation of the best of all the famous Vegas acts, from Frank Sinatra to Sonny and Cher, so I figured it would be a good way for me to get a taste of Vegas through the years. The show was phenomenal! Top-notch musicians, dancers, singers, and entertainers quickly had me tapping my toes and laughing out loud. If engineering is my "real job," then performing arts is definitely my "dream job." Every show I see makes me want to throw on some dancing shoes and jump in the action!
More pictures from Caesar's Palace (left), and me at Vegas! The Show (right)
Tomorrow is the last day of the conference, but I will probably sneak out a bit early to catch a few museums before flying back tomorrow evening. Stay tuned!

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