Inside and Out

I am not sure it is a good thing to have a conference in such a beautiful spot. Waking up to gorgeous sunshine and blue sky and wonderful warmth is lovely, and walking early in the morning to the conference center was lovely, but then the rest of the day was spent inside away from all the beauty outside. I wanted to leave all day, but I am also obliged to rack up as many educational hours as possible over the next four days, so that I can maintain my license to practice medicine. I find myself getting interested in the topics I choose, but hours later, as I am walking back to my hotel, I wonder why I am not playing hooky instead.

These conferences used to be wild affairs. Pharmaceutical companies would wine and dine us and entertain us in all sorts of inventive ways, but with new rules limiting the largesse of the drug companies, there are limited events, at least none that I have been invited to. So that we have an opportunity to enjoy the beach a little, the lectures begin at 7 and end early at 3. I was on the beach by 4, and took a long long walk along the shore admiring the surfers and body surfers and volleyball players and families with small children. There was another performance with delightful native women and girls and more traditional chanting as well as more modern singing with guitars and ukelele. It was dark when I found my way back to my hotel.

Maya had a violin recital today. Somehow one of the pianists tripped and stepped on her bow and destroyed it. Maya seemed nonplussed while I am horrified at the $500 loss, but then again it could have been worse, with either Maya or the violin damaged. I ought to be relieved. She was quite happy to have acquired a new fish for her tank, having lost one to her crayfish early on, and the escape and demise of her blue colored crayfish last week. She was to have an eventful week with daily ballet rehearsals, but left her practice a half hour early Saturday to attend her violin masterclass, which upset her ballet teachers, so she may be unable to perform in her ballet event at all. It all seems so complicated for an eleven year old.