iDate conference 2015 – Some random thoughts.

To finish off discussing the iDate conference in Las Vegas, here are a few random thoughts about the experience.

Firstly, the toilets in America freaked me out to start.  The water level in them is much higher than those in the UK.  The first time I flushed one, I thought it was going to overflow!  In fact, the first one I saw, I thought was blocked so moved to a different one.  I had to check three to make sure they were all at the same level.

I didn’t have to tip anywhere near as much as I thought I would.  My mother had advised me to take lots of dollar bills, but I barely used a quarter of them.  American money is tough to get used to as well.  All the same size and similar colours.  I had to double check every time I paid for something.

When you’re in a plane, it seems to be moving much slower than it actually is.  I completely understand why people pick the window seat.  The view is quite breathtaking.  Airline food isn’t as bad as people make it out to be either.

How much did I lose on the slots?  About $30.  I also still don’t fully understand the rules of craps despite Marc explaining them to me repeatedly.

Drinks at the bars can be expensive.  Really expensive.  Food, not so much.  If you want a few brewskis in your hotel room, go find a shop that sells them.  You’ll save a fortune.

The Strip is full of people trying to hand you flyers for hookers.  And beggars.  And people trying to sell you their CD and/or book of poetry.  And lookalikes.  And performance artists.  Word of advice.  Standing there wearing a crap, badly fitting Hello Kitty costume that looks like it was dragged out of a costume shop’s bin isn’t going to encourage anyone to give you money.

Every casino looks the same once you’re inside.  All gaudy carpets and wall to wall slots.  Even the Venetian.  But it is worth checking it out for the fake sky effect they have and the gondolas.

We saw a recently married couple posing for photos on the road and holding up the traffic.  Luckily, under the circumstances, no one seemed to mind.

Why is it, the more expensive the hotel, the more white linen and towels they use?  Maybe it’s to show they’re clean?

People were more than happy to hand me their camera and ask to take photos of them.  Maybe I have an honest face, or they just figured they could outrun me if I tried to make a dash with it.  Yeah, probably that one.

The police officers I saw had these cool little electric trike things to get around with.

Bring a book or MP3 player with you.  Those waits at the airports are tedious.  Long flights are hell on your backside too.

And finally, would I go again?  Maybe.  It’s easy to get bored very quickly there if I’m honest.  If I did go again, I’d definitely not do it alone.  The next conference I’ll be attending will be in London.  It’s a short drive along the M4, and I can bring plenty of drinks with me in the car.  Plus there’s the advantage of no jetlag!