KatiMichel

A worker was superstitious and wanted to hang rubber chickens from the bottom of the full-motion simulators. IIRC, one was hung beneath a simulator, then removed, and the simulator stopped working. So, the management caved and allowed rubber chickens to be hung beneath all of them. That worker had a simulator dedicated to him and they put two rubber chickens under that one.

I had the same thought. I had no idea before the tour the extent to which they have to master the emergency skills, despite probably never needing to use it. On the other hand, passengers don't have to practice, but I sometimes hear it be said that you shouldn't assume a flight attendant will be there to help you in the event of an emergency!

These are gems. Bookmarking them to do someday if they still exist!

I actually was in Durham for DjangoCon US a couple of times. One year I was on the fence about making a quick trip to Raleigh before my flight and that factory was one on my list. It was a very rainy day, and I was pretty tired. I decided not to go. Hopefully, I will make it back sometime. Maybe for All Things Open, which is on my bucket list.

Thank you for sharing!

I've heard about that. I plan to do that sometime.

Sounds incredible. I am going to bookmark this to do if I take a trip to Brazil.

Great tip. I would never think to ask. Now I want to go to one!

That is a great idea. Too often, we just grow up getting used to the idea that things are just made somewhere in a "black box" and never take the time to investigate. We could probably get into more places than we realize.

I would love to tour a coffee company (or a chocolate company). Two of my favorite things. :)

I would love to see it!

I am glad you found that. Someone asked our guide, and I missed the explanation!

That sounds awesome. They actually told us during the tour that many employees never see the areas we went to. It was pretty exclusive. As for different break areas, I loved that they had so much memorabilia around. I feel like I saw so many different scenes in there. I think I would have gotten lost in there if I hadn't had a tour guide!

I love that. I want to take more tours like this. One thing I found very interesting about it was to be immersed in a company culture. It's kind of like being a fish in water. You might not notice your own culture around you, but going into one that is very distinctive, you can observe it.

Oh awesome! If you see me again, let's catch up!

It was a bit disappointing, but going into the tour, I had no idea what I would see, so it wasn't something I had any expectation about. Altogether though, I felt like I saw some very amazing stuff up close.

Glad you enjoyed it!

I definitely recommend it. It was a short journey, but a very unique experience.

I think so too!

Thank you! Don't know if you remember me, but I remember you from the Wichita DevICT! I still pop in from time to time. Hope you are well. :)

Thank you and always a pleasure to see you! :)

Thank you. I hope so too!

Glad you enjoyed it! Anyone can attend PyCon US. There are people from all walks of life and skill levels. If cost is an issue, PyCon US has a generous financial aid program. A caveat: some prospective attendees in other countries have difficulty getting visas.

It was great to meet you too! Thank you for the kind words. :)

You shouldn't feel that way at all. I don't think I've ever had a bad experience meeting people at a conference. It has actually been the opposite. Many people are there to make connections (and have their own doubts as well). You might be surprised at how receptive they will be. Also, many conferences actively promote inclusion. See the "Pac Man Rule" attributed to Eric Holscher which was referenced at PyCon US. https://www.ericholscher.com/blog/2017/aug/2/pacman-rule-con...

I am so excited that I had the chance to meet you! I am planning to be at Pittsburgh next year as well. Looking forward to it!

Awesome! I met you at my first conference (DjangoCon US 2017). Can't wait to see you again sometime. :)

Thank you for reading and commenting!

Thank you. I try to write these for major conferences that I attend. It is a good way to absorb what I learned and remember what I did. I see myself building on these experiences over time.

It was a huge number of people, but I already know a lot of people from being a conference regular for quite a few years.