The people, plain and simple.

I encourage you, if you are not part of the local MySQL community, then why not? Find a local MySQL Meetup group, attend the MySQL Conference, get online to IRC @ freenode#mysql, subscribe to some lists or read the forums. I didn’t meet these people being an observer, but part of the community.

As I wrote recently with some vacation time and the need to pick the brain of some experts I organized a quick trip to Germany to specifically visit Jan Kneschke and Paul McCullagh to improve my MySQL skills in certain areas on my own time …

Diary: Saturday 16th June 2007

Today, Miss She-BA Sheeri Kritzer married partner Tony in Boston. For those that remember, Sheeri was the 2007 Community Advocate of the Year at the MySQL Conference.

The official photos and videos are already up, so I’ve add my snaps online now. This was an excellent day, it had some the best planning I’ve seen in a …

At our MySQL Camp Jay and Brian pitted off in the Umbrella Joust. Not sure if there was a winner, or a looser, but in the end no blood was split (except Leslie, but that’s another story).

See these and more camp photos at Flickr.

My new Google family since I’ve now moved to the US. Ronald, James, Michael, Shona and Kynan (front). James has literally been here in the US only a few days more then me, and he has an amazing Day 1 story.

Apparently there are a reasonable number of Australians now working for Google. Another interesting fact is the male/female ratio is 6:1 which is extremely high in comparison to the IT industry and IT related university studies.

So, mid morning especially after having a heavy and late night drinking with new friends in Palo Alto I was seeking at Day #3 of the MySQL Camp a high-caffeine pick me up drink. Yesterday I had a Bawls, and after enjoying it I was a little concerned that when I returned to New York I would not be able to buy it. You can get it at Think Geek but that’s more complicated then a local supermarket.

So after getting a Googler to get me to the cafe fridge we find out that there weren’t any there. No problem, lets just go this way I’m told. So we start a quick tour of the larger cafe area and another set of fridges but no Bawls, we keep walking, no more again. At this time the recommendation is I should try a Rockstar, but so …

We have made it to MySQL Camp being held at Google Head Quarters in Mountain View California. Directions WOOT!!!

So we are at the lobby reception of Building 40, and I’m lounging back in a large green beanbag behind all the name tags, this is so cool, the problem is with all our technology, nobody yet has the capability to read the photos from a digital camera so I can upload it. Both Sheeri and myself have left the right stuff in our hotel room. So stay tuned.

Leslie our Google co-coordinator wants her business card to read “Hacker Herder” which sounds so cool. This whole weekend is going to be a blast. More to come.

At dinner at the MySQL Camp I found a new way these American’s store their ice.