On Tue, Jul 16, 2013 at 1:47 PM, Ted Lemon
<Ted(_dot_)Lemon(_at_)nominum(_dot_)com> wrote:
On Jul 16, 2013, at 11:37 AM, Adrian Farrel
<adrian(_at_)olddog(_dot_)co(_dot_)uk> wrote:
I venture that "starve" is never a real outcome, but "go to a
supermarket" or
"bring food in your luggage" are alternatives that need some planning
and are a
small inconvenience.
Try it sometime, then get back to us. :)
[MB] Exactly. This was the same sort of response that we had when we
raised these concerns after the meeting in Dublin (and later in
Maastricht). Many countries limit the food that you can bring in your
luggage. And, in the case of Dublin (and Maastricht on Sunday) there were
no markets to go to in order to buy food. Yes, I can subsist on the
pumpkin seeds and raisins that I carry in my pocket and backpack but to do
so for 36-48 hours is really unpleasant and isn't healthy for me personally
who needs more fresh foods to feel well. [/MB]
I rented a car in Orlando, which just about doubled the cost of my stay.
This is a pretty strong negative for a venue. And I suspect that "needs
some kind of nonstandard food" is not quite as small a minority as you
imagine it is. Particularly when "nonstandard"=="what is served in the
hotel restaurant," which, in large hotels, tends to actually be a very
constrained, unhealthy diet even for those who can eat it. I was feeling
so crappy after several days of the hotel food at the most recent venue we
shared together that I had to flee the meeting and search Dublin for some
probiotics and roughage. I am happy for you that you don't have this
problem.
[MB] I did the same in Orlando and will do so in cases where we may end up
in the boondocks or tiny cities in Europe again, but my company covers that
cost and not everyone has the financial support that I do when I go to
meetings. [/MB]