microsoft, wherefore art thou microsoft?

After a couple of disastrous days, spent  hiding under the cover and feeling like crap, I pulled myself together on Friday morning because I was going on a business trip to the Microsoft Executive Briefing Center for the Dutch Universities who have a contract with Microsoft. Some short observations:

1. Microsoft people are very, very slick, and are programmed to tell you the Wonderful Tale of How Everything Get's Better with their products. If you raise a question or concern, they will frown, nod and say in a solemn voice:'we are aware of the problem and we are working on it'.

2. I was about half the age of all the other attendees. There were three women and about 20 men.

3. They have some really cool stuff in development, but it all comes at a price.... And if you ask questions about the compatibility with other OS, see 1.

4. I had a pleasant trip back to Utrecht, talking with two IT guys. One of them left me a voice mail to ask if I would go out and have a drink with him, otherwise he would be very happy to teach me how to sail and cook Thai food for me. I replied with a text message that I was not interested in dating, he replied that he didn't meant it that way. I wonder how often he leaves voice mails to the other people in the bus despite this statement. Apparently I am incredibly attractive to 50+ men. I wish they could pass a note to the next generation of guys, to get me some age appropriate action.

5. I did not take a picture of me with the microsoft logo. If it is any consolation, their building is uber boring.