Francophone films, Saratov flight, IT, Under pressure

Hello :)
Was going to speak about pretty great films I saw last week thanks to the Francophone Film Festival. That`s an every spring event in Moscow. Not really an event with the capital "E", but still - able to gather together quite an audience - all sorts of local francophils and cine-mans.

There was a really good selection this year, and I (sort of) promise to write about it. That`s actually part of my self-discipline program - writing about stuff I see or read, but often wrong timing...

Like for example today. Not only we have switched to summer time, which took a whole hour from my sleep. But arriving at work today, with still quite a sleepy head - thanks to late films and early wake-ups - was interesting to find out that tomorrow I am actually supposed to go to Saratov. That is a town further south from Moscow, on the river Volga. To think geographically, Saratov region has borders with Volgograd region (everybody knows former Stalingrad, I presume) and Kazakhstan... Well, briefly, it needs a flight to go there, and I still don`t have a ticket and bla-bla-bla...

What happened is that my colleague who was actually planned to go there - had appendicitis. She is fine now, the operation was quick (emergency style), and she sounds pretty energetic on phone already and asking for the laptop. The funny (yes, still) thing about this was that she actually made her own diagnosis herself. Once she felt a pain on Sunday at home, she went to Internet to compare what she felt with what that could be... Okay, three hours later, after a quick decision about calling emergency, the operation was over... The funny thing is - if that is not obvious still - that we actually work in the IT education program, so advertising IT skills pretty often :) And impressive, how things can be changed all the time (and now speaking about me going to Saratov). There will be the seminar for new tutors of southern regions.

Have you ever heard the Queen`s song "Under pressure"? It shows pretty well the rhythm I am in today. Several arrangements, including one meeting out of the office in some Academy... I like the middle part (of the song, when about love), but the whole harmony of the song is really good. Having it in my mind now, and quickly finding some small video on YouTube (right click please) - so everybody would listen and enjoy :)

Can't we give ourselves one more chance,
Why can't we give love that one more chance,
Why can't we give love give love give love give love...

Cos love's such an old fashioned word
And love dares you to care for
The people on the edge of the light
And love dares you to change our way of
Caring about ourselves
This is our last dance
This is ourselves
Under pressure
(c) Queen

PS: Love, and wish me luck :)

PPS: the last statistics I read - about IT - tells that Russia is on the 74th (!) place speaking about information/communication technologies. The Networked Readiness Index (NRI) includes three main components: (1) environment for developing IT, (2) public, business and government intention to use IT, (3) the actuall use. If interested, Denmark is the first, followed by Sweden and USA. Latvia is 48th. But the 74th place... The following article (need to be clicked) is in Russian, but puting it here as a proof.