Аннотация: A trip to the sea coast at expense of scientific means and the ability to knit sea knots. (In graduate school). Autobiographical story.
A trip to the sea coast at expense of scientific means and the ability to knit sea knots. (In graduate school). Autobiographical story.
Different scientific organizations received money from different sources and had different organizational capabilities.
Many organizations declared themselves as a scientific centers close to environmental themes.
Thus, as a graduate student who was writing a dissertation on the economic assessment of natural resources and payments for natural resources, I was incuded in a circle of the participants in a relatively small scientific conference, which was held in late September-early October somewhere in the late 80s of the 20th century under Novorossiysk.
The main summer holiday season has already ended.
On the one hand, it was possible to rent a recreation center (base for rest) on the Black Sea coast for relatively little money.
On the other hand, one of the relatives of influential persons who were related to the recreation center could write a dissertation at the appropriate scientific institution that organized the conference and was interested in renting the base.
The days were great, sunny.
The sea water was cold. But there was a shower with hot and cold water on the beach. So, after swimming in cold water, I could warm up in the shower under jets of hot water.
How many "invitees" were there at this conference? I do not know this. Almost all the participants were employees of the very scientific institution that held the conference.
Of course, nothing prevented them from getting together on one of the working days at their main place of work and discussing issues according to the developed conference program.
But how would they hear my speech, my performance? (A joke. In some way.).
The summer cottages at the recreation center had two rooms. One room is something like a corridor or hallway. It had one bed. The second room is the main one. The main room had two beds.
A bedside table was attached to each of the beds.
It seems that I originally intended to occupy one of the beds in the main room.
But it turned out that the seats were allocated in advance. Somebody of the organizers kindly pointed me to a bed in the walk-through room.
Of course, it was a pleasant emotional moment. I settled down in complete comfort. It's nice to feel courtesy and hospitality.
I tried to minimize the listening to other participant's performances, and I tried to maximize the time spent on the seashore.
The conference organizers looked askance [they looked strictly] at me, who was swimming in the sea or lying on the beach, I was not setting the best example for the rest, but they, still, did not make a critic remark to my address. I was, however, from a different organization.
I was given the opportunity to speak at the conference with a story about my scientific work and its results.
It seems that on these warm sunny days the conference was held in a summer cinema.
The bosses sat down in the presidium, and the rest of the participants took the seats of the spectators.
While talking about the results of my scientific research, I noticed that the bosses in the presidium began to exchange lively glances and whispered about something each other.
Later, I learned that my ideas began to be used in the works of the scientific institution that was holding the conference.
But, although I was the author of ideas, and even published them in some scientific publications (of the lowest level), I was not significant and influential enough person for my name and surname to be mentioned in connection with my scientific results.
The sea water grew colder. Although the sun was shining brightly, but even the jets of hot water from the shower on the beach did not save me from hypothermia while swimming.
In addition, these jets somehow weakened and cooled. (Did they gradually turn off the shower?).
The conference has come to an end.
I remember excellent swimming in the beautiful cold sea water, pleasant jets from a hot shower on the beach, sunny days, getting a tan during lying on the beach on a rocky shore. The sides and the back were saved from the hard stones by comfortable wooden sun beds.
Perhaps someone arrived in private cars, someone continued to rest, someone returned by train.
In any case, the lowest employees of the organization that held the conference returned to Rostov in a compact group - on a large tourist bus.
They took all but two of the seats. So I got the opportunity to sit in one of the seats, and the other, next to me, was free. Perhaps these were the very back seats - in the back part of the bus.
All other seats on the bus were occupied by the lowest scientific personnel. They treated me very evenly, not showing any interest or attention to me.
We stopped for a while in Novorossiysk. I visited the local bookstore. Novorossiysk is a city with a port. So, there was a book about knitting sea knots in the book store. I bought this book immediately.
During the trip to Rostov, I read with pleasure a book about knitting of sea knots and set up experiments. I tried to knit one or the other sea knot.
Much has been forgotten since that time. But I able to tie a simplest sea knots even now.
August 20, 2021 10:56
Translation from Russian into English: August 20, 2021 12:24.
Владимир Владимирович Залесский "Поездка на море за научные деньги и умение вязать морские узлы. (В аспирантуре). Автобиографический рассказ".