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Hello, everyone! I'm excited to be here.
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I got a remote control, which means I can come to you guys and speak while switching my slides.
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How do you like that? Not bad for someone not from Wroclaw, right?
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So, this is another talk I have to give.
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In the morning, I usually worry about what's wrong with my slides, and today is no different.
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They may not be the way they should be, but anyway, let's carry on.
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I had a condition not to drink too much yesterday.
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Oh!
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Oh my God, it's in German, yes!
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Maybe one day I'll get a Mac and everything will work out of the box.
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Then I can use the nice remote control you provided. But I’ll stop ranting about Apple, right?
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Yesterday, I planned not to drink too much.
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Of course, that didn't work out because I'm in Poland, and people here are incredibly friendly.
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I’m going to speak about that in the next 45 minutes.
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Here’s a picture of my mother. Isn't she nice?
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When I attend conferences, she always tells me, 'Son, I'm so proud of you!'
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She sees me as a speaker, a smart guy on stage talking about technical stuff.
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And yes, I introduce software concepts and things to a room full of smart people.
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I’m talking about you guys.
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While the conferences often involve technical discussions,
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what I really appreciate is the social aspect.
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I enjoy having fun and connecting with people.
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Conferences can be a lot of fun, and that's what I cherish.
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However, my mother always worries when I return because I drink too much.
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I don't talk about great lectures on event machines.
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Instead, I say, 'Hey, there was a fantastic after-party!'
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So she's always concerned about my health, thinking I'm becoming an alcoholic.
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But it’s not true; I’m not an alcoholic, right?
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I have told my mother I’m not an alcoholic, but she doesn’t believe me.
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As I mentioned, I really enjoy attending conferences.
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I love the social interactions, talking to people, and engaging.
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We often discuss beers, hobbies, and what interests us in our free time.
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By the way, where's Alex? Ah, you have a seat, my friend.
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Who was at the Uruka conference last year?
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Are many planning on going this year?
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Are we seeing the same crowd as last year?
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I occasionally cough because of the cold Polish weather.
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I just arrived from South Africa, so it's pretty different!
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What I really love about software conferences is how people interact.
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You can go to a bar at one o'clock in the morning,
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and people are still seriously discussing software.
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They’re passionately immersed, yet maintain respect for one another.
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Even if disagreements arise, they handle it respectfully.
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That's what I truly admire about Ruby conferences.
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There’s so much respect within the Ruby community.
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We have celebrities in our community, like Tom Preston-Werner, the founder of GitHub.
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He’s a millionaire, and you think, 'Wow, that's him!'
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However, in the Ruby community, there's no hierarchy.
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People are friendly, enjoy talking, and love drinking.
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I recall an event in Texas at a Ruby conference where we had a lot of fun.
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One lesson I learned from attending several Ruby conferences is this:
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We don't treat people as celebrities; instead, we share respect for one another.
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I once saw a sign in a tram in South Africa: 'Just greet each other and smile'.
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That taught me so much about earning respect from others.
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We already had this experience at the Ruby conference.
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There's a person some consider a celebrity, but he would greet everyone with a smile.
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So, remember, to be respectful, just greet each other and smile.
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My first trip to Poland taught me valuable lessons about respect.
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My first conference in Poland was Rupai in Poznan back in 2009.
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Who was there at that conference? How did you like it?
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I enjoyed it a lot!
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It was my first trip to beautiful Poland.
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This picture is actually from EuRuKo in Krakow.
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Sorry for the confusion.
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Hey guys, you're late!
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Can you see anything on the slides?
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So, what happened at my first conference in Poland?
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I felt warmly welcomed, instantly having beers, and going out to bars.
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We went to a bar called 'Czechtown' here in Wroclaw.
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I got a bit drunk trying to be a good guest.
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The next day, I had to give a talk feeling quite under the weather.
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It was tough since I ended up sick after the fun.
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That's the person who welcomed me to Poland; he showed me a typical Polish breakfast.
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After enjoying breakfast and feeling nauseous, I became an honored citizen of Wroclaw.
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Thank you very much! This was a wonderful experience, and you're a fantastic audience.
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Since my first visit, I've returned to Poland many times because I love it here.
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Poland is beautiful, and the people are incredibly hospitable.
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I've been to Krakow, where hospitality is abundant.
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During one visit, my friends invited me to dinner at a Mediterranean restaurant.
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One friend, Bart, even gave me socks because I didn’t have enough.
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Polish people are so friendly, giving me vodka as well.
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We played a game in Krakow where you had to eat fruit from a big spoon.
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If you could get it in your mouth in one go, you won.
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I had tough competition, but I succeeded and became a celebrator.
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My slides may be dark, but I’ll try to turn my laptop around.
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My blog tagline is 'Respecting Local Traditions since 1981'.
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This idea was born when I was in Poland and learned to respect local customs.
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Someone offered me vodka, and I said, 'Of course, I will respect local traditions!'
