Silicon Valley resembles a city that has been placed on a rubber sheet and then stretched in all directions, widening the roads, pulling all the architecture wide and low and leaving broad gaps in between the houses. Needless to say, getting around is a lot easier if you have a set of wheels, so on arrival here I sourced a bike from the obliging CraigsList  -  a website that seems to be more trusted in Silicon Valley than anywhere else I have been to, possibly a reflection of the kind of industry this is.

Caltrain, the main train system in this area leaves a lot to be desired in the regularity of its trains and diversity of its station positions, but is has one beautifully redeeming feature. BIKE CARS.  

Two carriages on each train exclusively for bikers and their bikes, where the seats have been replaced with bike-racks and spider cords. And this is a well used service; at the start of the line there are sometimes up to 40 bikes in the carriage. For easy access you have to place your bike on top of a further-travelling bike, so that yours in accessible when you try to get off. All in all, it’s a really great system, and means that cycling to work is possible even if you’re office is 50 miles from your house.  

Sitting on the train each day I find myself surrounded by all these guys in bike helmets and shorts, typing away on their laptops or into their iPhones. A perspective on the city executive that I had never seen before.

My project escalated this week when I identified a group of things that opened doors for further research, which was exciting, as it meant I needed to speak to the labs in Malaysia and had a wee look round the labs in Santa Clara, where they showed me how to test the devices that I’m working on.  Because silicon chips are so small, testing is more fiddly than just wiring it up circuit with a few cables.

I can’t believe we’re past the half way point, this is moving so fast I don’t want to blink!

Have a good week guys,

a.