Conference and on to Purdue

Well Saratoga Springs conference went well although I got a very stuffy head and sore throat - too much air conditioning and changes of temperature methinks. Nice town, lots of trees and statues of horses everywhere. The Conference reception was held at the Saratoga Racing museum - very famous racetrack and lots of historical info - but I dont know much about racehorses.

Met some really neat people, networked like crazy and heard some interesting talks - particularly a group trying to define a Philosophy of Engineering education!

Left there on Sunday and took a shuttle bus to Albany airport, a flight to Chicago ( it left early!!) then a flight to Indianopolis, then another shuttle bus to West Lafayette, got picked up by the hotel shuttle and then picked up from hotel by a lovely couple from Purdue Uni who took me home for a Roast Beef and Yorkshire Pudding dinner! Dont know but I felt great!

Temperature is just above freezing - very windy. This is a real university town - big prestigious uni with a long tradition - very proud of the fact that they have had about 12 astronauts through the engineering school including Neil Armstrong, Roger Chaffey, Gus Grissom and ..... Their football team is called the Boilermakers - something to do with the beginnings of the town and making boilers for steam locomotives I think!

Everybody making me most welcome - photos in next episode.

I have quite mixed feelings as my time in the USA is running out - be nice to be home, and I am so glad all is well with Peter and Louie, but wish I could have more time to assimilate all that I am learning - spend most of my spare time on the computer trying to summarise or prepare for the next event.

More later

Canada

After leaving Washington I stayed with Ann and Carla in Ann’s very centrally located wee house in Toronto for a couple of days– always feel so welcome there. Lovely old house filled with artworks and memories of Ann’s travels – three storeys and a cellar.
Had lunch with Marta who is a Civil engineer I met last time I was in Toronto – she is heavily involved with Ontario professional engineers, especially the Women in Engineering Community.
Travelled down to Cornwall on Sunday afternoon – after a leisurely morning – before we left went for a walk to a lovely park up the road, beautiful trees, did a little bit of gardening and just generally chatted and caught up on lots of news. Beautiful drive down – all the trees looking a picture – lovely day, past the “Thousand Islands” – beautiful area with cottages close to the water, and arrived at Carlas house – another lovely house – three storey ( + basement). Lots of houses with Hallowe’en scarecrows and pumpkins.
Monday – just took it easy doing some reading, and long talks with Ann about her work for women inengineering and an International Task force on Women in ICT, then had lunch in town with Carla and Stacey. Ann and I did a test run over the US border to make sure they would let us through tomorrow ( Ann had forgotten her passport) – all OK, so home and I made apple crumble!
Another pleasant evening… getting colder – temperature down to 10 deg C – quite a change from Washington.
Tuesday
Left Cornwall about 9 am and went over the high bridge to the USA on a drizzly morning- – through Mohawk territory and then into northern NY state. Drizzly and wet but still a beautiful drive through Chateaugay and Mooers ( yes that is its name), to Rouses Point where I was to get the train – unbelievably decrepit looking station – but all organised even with a US Customs and Border protection site.
Train ran alongside the lake Champlain - beautiful train trip into the Adirondacks– all the trees were glowing yellow through to red – if it had been a sunny day would have looked as if the trees were on fire, but even in the drizzle bright and inviting…cottages perched alongside the lake – ground paved with leaves – I like riding on the Amtrak – have a fold down table, even a power plug although mine is not working. Not a very speedy train but time to see the lakeside scenery -
Arrived at Saratoga Springs – and nice hotel – conference tomorrow!

One more day in Washington DC

Well one more day in Washington DC and then I am off.

Worked quietly away last week - got a bit depressed with my progress, but kept plugging away - the paper has grown to 15,000 words which takes a bit of sorting.

Then had a lovely day on Saturday with Kitty who works part time in our Center. I took the train to the stop nearest to her home in Virginia and then we had a day driving down into the Horse country of Virginia - autumn ( fall ) colours, big open green paddocks - they mow them, not a sheep in sight, and houses that look like they came out of Gone with the Wind. Civil war sites like the one on the left which was the site of a famous battle. Lots of places selling big orange pumpkins for Hallowe'en which is taken very seriously here.

The building with the pillars is a butchers shop in the "village" of Middleburg, VA!

Lovely hot day - in pleasant company - and on Sunday I tried to do a bit of sightseeing but really I am Washington'd out. So happy to come back to my little apartment and carry on writing and preparing stuff.

Monday was a workshop looking at Promising teaching and Learning Practices in Science and Engineering Education ( at universities). Quite interesting and got into a good conversation with a woman who is interested in the work Jonny and I have been doing. We took ourselves out to dinner on my birthday, so I wasn't alone.

Been plugging away at the writing this week. N. said second paper was almost there so I was quite cheered up - hard to work entirely alone ( for me ). Took some photos of the beautiful trees on the Mall outside our building, then some of the National Academies building, and the chap who is the Director of the Center here - he does a really good job, faciliating an enormous amount of research, conferences, and "empowering" of people like me.

So on Friday I am off to Canada for three days to stay with a couple of friends I have visited before and then to a conference in upper New York state.

Over half way now - home in three and a half weeks.

Another week hard at work (or trying!)

Was a pretty quiet week last week – worked every day and evening – got a bit bogged down but I’m working on it!
Still a very warm and sunny, and the trees on the Mall are just beginning to change colour. There are some pretty streets right near where I am staying in Foggy Bottom which are classified as heritage areas.

The TV is non stop politics here – or American football ( and I can’t work out the rules – very stop start sort of game), or else you find a channel which plays non stop episodes of Law and Order, Charmed or Closer! So don’t watch TV much – good incentive to keep writing.

I decided to work at least some of the weekend, as my time is running out, but I did find a post office, got my photo taken with (cardboard cutouts of) Barack Obama and John Mc Cain – and enjoyed the subshine.

Although I think Barack Obama is ahead, anything could happen. The “hockey mom” Sarah Palin who is John McCain’s running mate is getting a lot of attention – whilst I admire her spunk, I am wary of letting someone like that “a heartbeat away” from running the most powerful country in the world. She is convinced she has a God given mandate ...

Not sure how the election campaign back home is going, I hope it isn’t as dirty as this campaign.

Went to a free Duke Ellington Jazz festival outdoors on the mall on Saturday – very hot so I only watched for a couple of hours, great music especially a grouof about 40 7-12 year olds from Kentucky who played percussion jazz on xylophones, drums and other percussion instruments. They were great – the Louisville Leopards – and awfully cute as well. Walked around a bit, it seemed that the Mall was full of tourists, and locals enjoying the sunshine. The locals were playing Ultimate Frisbee, some sort of Handball game, baseball and soccer – in social teams on all the available grass on the Mall. Quite fun for people-watching. Sunday I went to a free film festival at the National Geographic Society which was quietly relaxing.

Back at work this week, my time is running out here in Washington, and once I leave here I will be meeting and talking with lots of people so working hard now is good. Ooh, writing is sometimes like drawing out teeth - painful!