And so it begins.

I introduced myself at the weekly Tuesday staff meeting. “Oh, so that’s how you say your name.” I also got a couple, “You don’t look like what I imagined.”

Today was pretty relaxed. I met the other intern, Irene Chong, from the Institute of Design. We compared design programs and conference-running experiences. She co-chaired About, With, and For (now Design Research Conference) last year.

I, of course, met a lot of other folks. I remember about half their names. Everyone seems very nice. There was a lot of concern and support for my living predicament. Someone even volunteered to drive me to a few apartment viewings after work.

I saw a place I liked near Dolores Park, but the girl showing the place was torn because until I showed up, she was ready to give it to another couple. I should find out about it tomorrow. And if not, I’ve got some other viewing lined up for tomorrow night.

In other news, “Surface computing has arrived.