Off to the Blue Ridge Mountains

Well, another b usy week - I was preparing a powerpoint to give at Virginia Tech where I had been asked to go and give a seminar to their graduate students. Quite challenging as it was being real time videoed to three other universities and questions could come from any of them! The building where I work in Washington is the National Academies of Science and has a huge statue of Einstein outside - apparently it is traditional to get one's photo taken in the arms of Einstein - so here I am.

Thursday night I went down on quite a small plane to Roanoke which is the nearest airport to Blacksburg where Virginia Tech is located. Roanoke is in the New River Valley which is just by the Blue Ridge Mountains - which I have read many stories about - people making moonshine whisky, and in one set of stories apparently full of Scottish immigrants from long ago.

Very beautiful country although didn't get a very good view as we flew in as there was drizzly grey rain. But green and lots of trees - starting to change colour with the autumn. I was picked up by a lovely person from the Engineering Education Dept and we drove to Blacksburg where I had been booked in at the "Inn at Virginia Tech" - an onsite hotel.

Virginia tech is the site of a particularly awful massacre of students and one engineering faculty member a couple of years ago. It was not mentioned but there is a memorial with "We will prevail" on a stone. Apparently alumni of VT have put up scholarships in the names of each of the victims.

Virginia tech is the main reason for the small town of Blacksburg and since it has been there since 1872 - you can imagine how much tradition there is - they have "Hokie" memorabilia everywhere - and at least half of the students around are wearing T shirts or sweatshirts i nthe distinctive maroon and bright orange. They have special T shirts for games when the football team plays away and a different colour when the team plays home - they have Tshirts, mugs with "Hokie" Dad ."Hokie" baby - and a Hokie is apparently a turkey so they have noisemakers that sound like turkeys gobbling!

The buildings are all made, even the new ones, of the special "Hokie" stone which is quarried nearby, so it all looks old, even the new buildings. - Beautiful grounds - leaves just changing colour - huge drill field and in their military tradition they have military cadets (they all attend classes in white pants and blue jackets with white braid - and the male cadets all shaved heads
My photos all look a bit grey, grey stone buildings and drizzly grey skies but I am going to get a postcard scanned - with lovely views taken in sunshine and add to my collection.

I had a very full schedule with meeting over breakfast then three more then another meeting over lunch then interviewed and then my seminar! Nice welcoming people - think it went well. They asked questions and good practice for me!

They get huge amounts in grant money to do research - often on things we just take for granted. But great networking opportunity.

Very interesting - a place I would love to come back to - didnt really get a chance to get the full flavour of the area or the university. I spent Saturday morning walking up the main street, didnt take long, I even saw a poster advertising a "Gathering of the Clans" up in the mountains... reminded me of Diana Gabaldon's books.

Then a fairly uneventful trip back - time consuming ( only a 26 minute flight but left Blacksburg at 12.50pm and back to my apartment at 5:30 pm)!

Staying in Washington for the next two and a half weeks - need to keep writing - before my time runs out!

Back from New York!

Well, last week was hectic - I worked flat out to rewrite the paper I thought I had done the week before - aiming for a higher rated Journal with encouragement from the director of the Center - I was a real engineer - long hours to a deadline- even pulled an all nighter to get it done before I headed off to New York.

Helped U of A at a Post graduate fair in Washington on Thursday afternoon - then on Friday headed to New York to help them again at the New York fair.

Little bit excited - beautiful weather - after arriving in the late afternoon I walked until my legs dropped off - our hotel was right in the middle of everything - ( dont ask the price! glad I wasnt paying) - close to Central park - horsedrawn carriages - it is a beautiful park - and quite huge....

do you recognise the bridge in the photo on left - I am sure it has been in countless movies.

Then walked down to Times Square - Friday afternoon, lots! of traffic, yellow taxis everywhere, bumper to bumper - and not as polite as Washington traffic.

Skyscrapers everywhere - although I had seen some in Chicago - the way they line up here - like canyons is quite amazing - get dizzy looking up.

Saturday morning - I sat on a double decker Hop On-Hop Off tourist bus and just rode around - worked like crazy at the fair in the afternoon, and had a meal at a lovely Greek restaurant with the U of A team. They wanted to go to bed early as jet lagged, so no Broadway show - next time!Then Sunday morning, I took a lovely little boat trip - 90 minutes of NY skyline and historical commentary - got to see the Statue of Liberty, Brooklyn Bridge and yes it was lovely!

Sunday afternoon, picked up by Jane D. who I had first met in 1991 in Melbourne and then again in 1992 when I visited Purdue. She is now based in Washington - we had a lovely afternoon driving around Manhattan island - getting a bit stuck in traffic - lunch over on the New Jersey side and then after a bit of a fright when we missed the correct off ramp - did arrive in time for my flight.

Safely back in my little apartment - and now working like crazy again to get a presentation ready for the seminar I am giving at Virginia Tech on Friday and getting started on the next paper.

I miss home, but getting to talk to Peter on Skype every couple of days, and occasionally ring other people up - I love technology!!

Love to all

13 September - update

Finished my first week at CASEE - got a first draft of one paper away to my ex PhD supervisor and working on the next one - did lots of reading and chasing up new literature - very quiet in the office and it is the most magnificent old building - marble pillars, magnificent artwork and artefacts all based around science - photos later. They have a magnificent cafeteria - even cooked breakfast ( apparently some people start work before 7am).

On Wednesday night after I got that draft away I went to a free concert at the Kennedy Center - it was the "Don Roy Trio" consisting of Don Roy on fiddle ( from Maine ) and his wife on piano and tapping simultaneously on a wooden box, and a chap on bass. Their music was described as Franco-American " blending sounds of Quebec, Ontario and the Maritimeprovinces" real foot tapping fiddling, and Cindy Roy also did "Step dancing" which was reminiscent of Irish dancing . Lovely way to end a day - and free shuttles both ways so didnt have to walk.

Havent been eating out - there are plenty of eateries but I am usually a bit tired and happy just to flop. I am a little unsure about going out at night on my own. Next week perhaps.

Saturday
I decided that today was for me - and the Kennedy Center had an Open day with all free concerts all day - wonderful!!! Blazingly hot for the outdoor acts but I went to a range of short concerts including "Hungry Marching Band from Brooklyn NY", Step Dancing teams ( all seemed to be African Americans from sorority or fraternity groups at unviersities) - seemed to be a cross beween tap dancing and Samoan slap dancing..., Nevada Ballet - dancing work by Balanchine ( beautiful! ), Oklahoma Stomp (band/orchestra composed of fiddles,guitars, drums and singers - seemed to be mostly young boys/men), then the Richmond Boys Choir from West Virginia, Washington National and then a Cuban Salsa group - really foot stomping, everyoney was getting up and joining in the dancing, and then finally an outdoor concert by Lila Downs a Mexican who was very talented. There was going to be dancing outdoors with "GoGo artists" until 11 pm although I knew I couldnt stay. I watched all the people could afford to go to first night of Washington National Opera La Traviata ( in their beautiful clothes) - and then I walked back to my place.

Incredible variety of people taking the opportunity to be there - lots of families, lots of good will, people very willing to clap and cheer and get up and dance - lovely experience.

Very hot - the Hurricane did hit down in Texas but we didnt get the rain like we did last weekend.

Day 1 at the office

Well I had the first day in the office today – the National Academies building is huge and houses the National Academy of Science Museum, the National Academy of Engineering and the Institute of Medicine. It is right on Constitution avenue – and if my desk faced the other way I would see the tree tops of the parklands that run from the Lincoln Memorial to the Capitol. I picked up my security clearance, arrived to find I had a separate office with computer, phone, new stationery, and a very quietly efficient welcome.
I had walked the mile to the office from my apartment this morning in 81deg F and was pleased to discover that there is a dedicated shuttle which does about 10 trips a day from the Metro right near my apartment to our building and to the other main building – so I got to ride almost all the way home – great when carrying laptops and paperwork. The building has a superb cafeteria – even has cooked breakfast – apparently some people start work VERY early – the most popular shuttle is the 7 am one and the chap who runs the Center starts at 6 am and leaves at 4pm. Other people work through until 7pm to miss the traffic.
My apartment is one bedroom has a kitchen, bathroom, walk in wardrobe, king size bed and a fold down sofa bed ( very tired and sinks in the middle!). It is in a very secure building with a 24hr concierge and with the late summer evenings I am not likely to be out after dark very often. There is a “Trader Joe’s” store around the corner only 100m away and with the George Washington University so close, it is clearly a university district so there is a variety of reasonably priced food. Most of the streets are tree lined and I have worked out the numbering system, of the streets, so it is not easy to get lost. I did get lost in the building trying to find the way out tonight when everyone else in my office had gone home…it is like a labyrinth.
Annette – my new pyjamas are great but can’t wear the new suit yet – it is way too hot. Catherine – my nails are holding out and I have found a couple of places to go at the weekend if I need to get a touch up.
I walked and walked over the weekend whenever it was fine – although my legs are tired, I am pacing myself – I went along to Georgetown yesterday afternoon and stood on the riverside and watched everything from rowing skiffs, canoes, luxury runabouts to sightseeing ferries… and Oh, don’t Americans like their little dogs – saw a real Paris Hilton imitation and another lady with a parrot on her shoulder. Browsed in some lovely “old” bookshops and generally feel overwhelmingly privileged to be here.

Thank you to all who have made this possible and thank you especially to Peter for faith and trust and making it possible for me to come with an easy heart.

Love to all

% September Washington

Well the two day workshop is over - some very interesting people although didn't really find it as productive as I hope consdiering howmuch expense and work had gone in to organising it. But good networking opportunities so all good.

This is me in front of the Lincoln memorial looking up the pool to the Washington monument.

Came back to my apartment - seems like home already and I havent slept here yet! An aussie colleague from the workshop is staying over for two days and we went out in the afternoon sightseeing to all the famous monuments while the weather is good. Forecast is for the side of Hurrican Hannah to hit us tomorrow with lots of rain. We went round the outside of the white House ( see http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vBDovpOn4zM for a very short video of me ) and then walked to Washington monument, Lincoln Monument, Vietnam Memorial wall, Korean Memorial wall, ( See picture with statues) Roosevelt Memorial, and Jefferson memorial - they sure like memorials. Se e photos.

Jefferson MemorialLots of squirrels everywhere - they sure get fed well by tourists so they are plentiful and the cutest rodents i have seen in a long while.

Also established a bank account without a social security number - which was quite an achievement! Just need some money to put in it.

we ended up in the rain in Bertuccis an Italian restaurant close to apartment. Walked for five hours so I am pooped - tomorrow go doing the Museums and then on Sunday I will sort out my work and start at the NAtional Academy of Engineering on Monday.

Arrived in Washington

3September

Safely in Washington after comfortable flights. The gods smiled and no flights were delayed and I got 3 seats to myself on the 12 hour leg from Auckland to Los Angeles, so I got some sleep and not feeling too bad at all. Arrived in Washington early morning this morning and the Super shuttle dropped 5 others off before me so I got quite a little tour in the beauiful sunny morning. Very warm.

After settling in to my apartment which is one bedroom and not a studio, very spacious although the furnishings look a bit tired, and have a shop "market" next door and leafy avenues all around. Right near the Gearge Washington University medical Centre in Foggy Bottom. After unpacking and bit of a rest, got the metro out to Arlington to the William Seidman Center where we are having the workshop - need to wear security clearance at all times but each person attending a course there gets a lovely room, kingsize bed and own kitchenette as well as internet access and good desk. It might make me look like a real amateur but here is my room at the William Seidman Centre!

So now off to find the other people at the workshop.

Sabbatical Part 3 - USA - Heading off

Well after a very relaxing month with grandchildren, completing my first patchwork quilt, one conference paper and writing bits and reflecting on previous research I returned home four days ago for a flying visit. I really enjoyed the opportunity to spend time with the family, lngest I have ever been there and will always remember my visit. Returned with mind, spirit and body refreshed. Peter had done well in my absence and he and Louie were looking good.

I head off this evening for Washington DC where I will check in to my studio apartment in Foggy Bottom, and then spend two days at a NAtional Science Foundation workshop on "Cyberinfrastructure and Engineering Education". Invitees only, so I am privileged and excited.

Will keep in touch regularly with photos and snippets of my travels.
Love to all.