So I was at the registration booth on Temple Road, kind of squatting down holding my computer on my lap, and fully connected to the “mesh” network so I could pick up email and then create an up-to-date registration list, and felt someone tapping my shoulder. The tap was Jim Forster (see photo to the right), who has been a supporter of AirJaldi since day one. I had only met with Jim once in the San Francisco Bay Area, although we’ve been in constant touch by email, and of course here he is in McLeod Ganj the day before AirJaldi begins. We’ve faced a few last-minute challenges (such as obtaining the large projector for the big auditorium), which I helped a little bit in coordinating, Jim helped in funding, and Tim Kiely helped in “transportation.”
Oh, that’s actually not what this post was about, was it? At the same time Laird Brown was there, wearing a cute (and warm) hat (photo to the left). Laird has been here for several months now, basically coordinating the press and public relations for the summit. Laird has a truly interesting past, and is quite knowledgeable about the technologies, but his strong point at the moment is helping companies (and AirJaldi in this case) with their strategic planning, and particularly their relations with the “outside” world. That’s how he makes a living – but his contribution to AirJaldi has been along the same lines. I will go back and dig up the various newspaper articles (and also some pivotal online coverage) that have highlighted AirJaldi. Most were spearheaded by Laird, though he also has contacts in the activist world that we have agreed not to expose here.
The registration “booth” is great. It sits on the front porch of the gift shop, but there’s a huge banner that I’ll grab a photo of later on. The AirJaldi staff is there each day signing people up, taking down information, taking the last-minute payments as necessary, and still scheduling a few people for Sunday’s tours. I’ll have more on the tours tomorrow! (Ranbir Rana and Tenzin Gompo are pictured in the photo at the registration “booth.”)
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