coworkers

i work at the IBM almaden research center, and i gotta say that some of my coworkers are exceptionally bright and hardworking. i honestly look up to them, and they are great role-models for me. it's one of the top reasons i enjoy my job.

sometimes i join them for lunch, and upon such momentous occasions, they really dish out the pearls of wisdom. just yesterday, i learned three very interesting things. apparently japan occupied egypt (not sure when), and was greatly influenced by egyptian art--to such an extent that american japanese restaurants display busts of the great pharaohs and various other sculptures of sphinxes and the like. wow.

i also received a small german lesson. it's kind of embarrassing, really, since i'm actually german (seriously though, just born there), though i suppose i can be proud of having "unlearned" the german language so thoroughly. apparently "Wachtmeister" refers not only to "table 39", but also has the quality of referring to the direction of that table. amazing.

lastly, joerg demonstrated one of his secrets for moving up through the IBM ranks. i have a lot to learn from him.