This year the MIX08 at Las Vegas is a treat with the latest and coolest stuff from Microsoft .NET 3.5 and Silverlight. Everyone is talking about it and I find myself happily attending the conference to learn more. More about this in next few blogs.

This is my first visit to Sin City, and so far the descriptors (at various times) I have used are: Unreal, Gaudy, Loud, Nutty, Annoyingly-bright, Eye-sore, Technologically impressive, Slick, and Excessive. The airport is right next to the stripe, however, to get to the stripe the cab ride takes a roundabout way to get there. That alone sets the stage for me for unnecessary excessiveness. A cab ride which should be not more than $10 is more than $30!

I am staying at the Treasure Island my room overlooks The Stripe. From the 29th floor the view of the Pirate ship, the Palazzo, the Venetian and quite a bit of the Stripe does not fail to impress. There are lights and then there are lights and then there is Las Vegas (a sensory assault!). The city is a like a gaudy-Christmas tree with all hotels as little ornaments, each trying to outdo each other, with more lights, with more glitter and with more excess. The room itself is moderately comfortable, and I missing some amenities that I have gotten used to such as the coffee machine! You thought, I was going to say mini-bar, but nah, I don't care too much about the crap they usually have in minibars. I rather be lounging at a decent restaurant with a decent wine in hand, than open a bottle or two from the mini-bar of some non-descript wine. As far as munchies go, they are readily available at a drop of a hat pin. Besides, why would I eat something that has been sitting in a mini-bar or vending machine, when I am right in the middle of some of the best possible restaurants? I don't think the intention of these hotels is to have people in their rooms. If the guest is holed up in the room then there is no way they can play on the zillion slot machines or poker tables and send their 'contribution' to the house vaults! So, bare minimum in the room and get the guest going on the casino floor seems to be the motto.

At 10pm at night the Treasure Island lives up to its promise and has a pirate ship (actually two) showing all abound with cannon fire, gold bullion and pirates!

The first evening after registration gods were appeased and badge procured, my colleagues and me participated in a Treasure Hunt. Alright! Scavenger Hunt! I just like to call it Treasure Hunt..... for me X did mark the spot.... or multiple spots where we took photos! We were part of the group of five called Blanchefleur (apparantly a pirate ship). So, the team of three from Massachusetts and two  from Jersey, were off wandering a city of Nevada (Las Vegas) with the a rule list, clue list, a sign that read "Silver", and one of the worst digital camera I have ever seen. The idea was to get 14 pictures around the neighborhood and we had two hours to do this. For me the allure was to be walking around, exploring the new city (or at least some sections of it). The Treasure Hunt took up wandering in The Venetian, The Fashion Mall next to it, The Mirage, and back to Treasure Island. The sense of the space being expansive really took root as we crossed over The Stripe on bridges and the walk ways. At some point I had imagined the Stripe to be... well.. not that expansive. Along the route of the hunting we found, talked and photographed Scott Hanselman. All he wanted to do was to get registered, poor man, and we got him to pose for us. Thanks Scott! At the end of the Treasure Hunt the idea was to load it up into a Silverlight application, but try as much as did we failed.... hmm..... no! the application failed.... ah! no! we did not have all the bits needed for the application in the first places. So, there, after couple of hours fighting with it.... I gave up. I still do have the application and at some point I will try to get to work..... I think! Or just write my own thing.

The flight, travel, new (overwhelming glittery) city, new friends, treasure hunt, and application that didn't have all the bits was enough excitment for the day. I couldn't wait for the conference to begin and hear what Steven Ballmer, Guy Kawasaki, Scott Guthrie had to say...... but for now, my head and a pillow needed to make contact!