Having already lived through ONE Friday the 13th, 2012, I'm working on my second here in LAX. I'm happy to report that nothing disastrous happened on this day, so rest easy. In fact,
you can look forward to a pretty quiet day of news, and a modest increase in the
S&P 500. I have the whole day here in LA before catching the red-eye back
to Dulles, whereupon Edie and I will forge our way up to Elkins! Looking
forward to swin at around dinnertime on Saturday evening.
I haven't seen the AL East standings yet, but I'm guessing that the Sox are
still at least 5 games out.
Happy trails.
Friday, July 13, 2012
Finishing up
The last day and a half of the conference were probably the best of all. On Wednesday afternoon, we heard from a very smart man named Andrew Martin -- an educational psychologist from Australia who discussed strategies for motivating boys to achieve in school. No silver bullets but lots of good, practical ideas based on research and good data.
In the evening, Pete and I met up with some teachers from St. Mark's in Dallas, including a Gilman grad from Pete's class ('87) and Casey Schoeberlein. There were about 8 of us and we had dinner at a French bistro near the Yarra River. Got to bed early and up early again for some exercise. Thursday was truly spectacular, as we were treated to a presentation by Li Cunxin, whose book Mao's Last Dancer chronicles his life as a ballet dancer who defected to the States after rising from abject poverty in Red China. So inspriring!
On Thursday afternoon, Charley and I (and his daughter, Janie) rented a car and drove to Phillip Island, about 2 hours southeast of Melbourne. We stopped along the way at an animal park and visited with koala, tasmanian devils, wallabees, and kangaroos. We got to the Island at dusk and sat near the water watching hundreds of tiny penguins wash ashore and then make their way across the beach and up into the vegetation where they spend the night. They looked so brave and persistent as they fought the wind and drizzle and trudged up a steep incline! We had some delish fish and chips on the way home. The joint was a mom and pop operation in a rural area, and Janie guessed that the proprietors figured that Charley and I were a "Two Dads" arrangement!
Need to pack and get up early for the flight on Friday. I'm looking forward to the flight so I can finish a few books I started this week!
In the evening, Pete and I met up with some teachers from St. Mark's in Dallas, including a Gilman grad from Pete's class ('87) and Casey Schoeberlein. There were about 8 of us and we had dinner at a French bistro near the Yarra River. Got to bed early and up early again for some exercise. Thursday was truly spectacular, as we were treated to a presentation by Li Cunxin, whose book Mao's Last Dancer chronicles his life as a ballet dancer who defected to the States after rising from abject poverty in Red China. So inspriring!
On Thursday afternoon, Charley and I (and his daughter, Janie) rented a car and drove to Phillip Island, about 2 hours southeast of Melbourne. We stopped along the way at an animal park and visited with koala, tasmanian devils, wallabees, and kangaroos. We got to the Island at dusk and sat near the water watching hundreds of tiny penguins wash ashore and then make their way across the beach and up into the vegetation where they spend the night. They looked so brave and persistent as they fought the wind and drizzle and trudged up a steep incline! We had some delish fish and chips on the way home. The joint was a mom and pop operation in a rural area, and Janie guessed that the proprietors figured that Charley and I were a "Two Dads" arrangement!
Need to pack and get up early for the flight on Friday. I'm looking forward to the flight so I can finish a few books I started this week!
Tuesday, July 10, 2012
Conferencing...
I'm not fond of using the verb "to conference", but it well describes what I've been doing since noon on Monday. The Opening Ceremony was truly breath-taking, with an appearance by "His Excellency" the Governor of the state of Victoria, and a magnificent performance by the Scotch College Symphony Orchestra -- 85 strong and all high school boys! That was followed up by a choral group from 12 different Melbourne boys' schools who sang an original piece composed and arranged by one of the Scotch College teachers to celebrate the 16 different countries represented at the conference. Wow -- I kept trying to imagine whether/how Gilman could pull off something like this. Well, we couldn't, actually.
We listened to one of the keynote talks by one Rufus Black, a brilliant, young researcher and philosopher/theologian from these parts who addresed the topic of "teaching creativity" which is tied to the conference theme. Peter and I went out to dinner afterward, close to our hotel, and turned in pretty early last night. I've developed quite a strong Australian accent during my time here which will be hard to shake once I get back to the States. Good on yeh, mate.
I've taken to getting up at about 5:30 a.m. and making my way to the river to run and watch the sun come up on the city. And now that the conference is in full swing, we get a few meals a day at the conference site. Today's Continental breakfast, though, was pretty spare, so tomorrow, we might catch brekkies at one of the diners in this neighbourhood. Today's schedule was very full, and the quality of the presentations was hot and cold. One of the two keynote speakers was excellent, and I took away a few ideas from the hour-long workshops I attended. We also watched a live, interactive feed from a boys' school in Hong Kong where a group of boys from around the world have gathered to participate in an eleaborate community service project in mainland China. Cool stuff, and a harbinger of more to come as the Coalition makes use of technological innovations to bring people together in innovative ways. Next year's conference is in Richmond, and I am playing a role in a similar project -- more on that later.
Tonight (Tuesday) we are off to the official conference dinner at the Melbourne Cricket Grounds (pronounced "Melbin Creekit Grines"), considered to be sacred territory around these parts. This stadium is part of a large complex of Arenas, including the site of the Australian Open. I'm running out of clean clothes, so I might try to do some laundry later on. Finally, I leave you with my favourite overheard vernacular today: "So, when are you Rogahs heading back over to Tazzie?"
Cheahs.
We listened to one of the keynote talks by one Rufus Black, a brilliant, young researcher and philosopher/theologian from these parts who addresed the topic of "teaching creativity" which is tied to the conference theme. Peter and I went out to dinner afterward, close to our hotel, and turned in pretty early last night. I've developed quite a strong Australian accent during my time here which will be hard to shake once I get back to the States. Good on yeh, mate.
I've taken to getting up at about 5:30 a.m. and making my way to the river to run and watch the sun come up on the city. And now that the conference is in full swing, we get a few meals a day at the conference site. Today's Continental breakfast, though, was pretty spare, so tomorrow, we might catch brekkies at one of the diners in this neighbourhood. Today's schedule was very full, and the quality of the presentations was hot and cold. One of the two keynote speakers was excellent, and I took away a few ideas from the hour-long workshops I attended. We also watched a live, interactive feed from a boys' school in Hong Kong where a group of boys from around the world have gathered to participate in an eleaborate community service project in mainland China. Cool stuff, and a harbinger of more to come as the Coalition makes use of technological innovations to bring people together in innovative ways. Next year's conference is in Richmond, and I am playing a role in a similar project -- more on that later.
Tonight (Tuesday) we are off to the official conference dinner at the Melbourne Cricket Grounds (pronounced "Melbin Creekit Grines"), considered to be sacred territory around these parts. This stadium is part of a large complex of Arenas, including the site of the Australian Open. I'm running out of clean clothes, so I might try to do some laundry later on. Finally, I leave you with my favourite overheard vernacular today: "So, when are you Rogahs heading back over to Tazzie?"
Cheahs.
Saturday, July 7, 2012
Arrival!
SUNDAY, JULY 8: The 14-hour flight from LAX to Sydney was less of an ordeal than I expected, as I was able to sleep for about 6+ hours. I had the misfortune, however, of sitting next to an older couple with especially strong body odor. I got to Melbourne by about 10 am on Saturday and made my way to the Victoria Hotel in the City Centre in time to attend the first of several board meetings. I'm rooming with Gilman's Middle School Head, Peter Kwiterovich -- he's staying on to travel for two more weeks after the conference.
Melbourne is lovely -- a large city with a friendly feel. It has the feel of an English city but with a warmth that one doesn't find in the UK. The weather is also better -- it's the middle of winter here, but daytime temps are in the 50s and 60s. The flora and fauna reminds me a lot of the Bay Area -- eucalyptus trees everywhere, palm trees, parrots, dry conditions, bright sunlight. The local residents are multi-cultural and seems to be from all over the Pacific Rim. There are lots and lots of ethnic restaurants nearby, ranging from Greek to Thai, to Vietnamese and Russian. I went for a slow jog down by the river this morning -- the Yarra River runs through the heart of the city and features running/biking paths on both sides. There's a lovely botanical gardens in that area, and lots of grassy spaces for footie playing. Australisn Rules Football is BIG, BIG, BIG down here, as there is a big-time professional league and the strongest teams are from this state (Victoria).
We spent today (Sunday) at Scotch College, the boys' school where the conference is to be held, beginning tomorrow afternoon. It is a spectacular place with TWO 500-seat auditoriums and fabulous grass fields everywhere, manicured gardens, tidy dormitories ("boarding houses"), and lots of outdoor spaces for students and teachers to congregate and socialize. It has the feel of an English boarding school but with cacti and tropical plants everywhere. Very incongruous! I bumped into Casey Schoeberlein this afternoon -- she went to Brymn Mawr, then SMU, then back to Gilman to teach in the Lower School for a few years. (Chan, you might remember that she worked the soccer camp one year.) Now she's at St. Mark's School in Dallas and is here to present a workshop for the conference. Tonight, Pete and I are having dinner with Charley Stilwell (St. Christopher's School in Richmond), and his 15 year-old daughter, Janie, who came along for the adventure.
Internet is hard to come by and expensive here, but I'll try to check in once a day to give updates on life Down Under. Thinking of all of you in B-More and New London!
Melbourne is lovely -- a large city with a friendly feel. It has the feel of an English city but with a warmth that one doesn't find in the UK. The weather is also better -- it's the middle of winter here, but daytime temps are in the 50s and 60s. The flora and fauna reminds me a lot of the Bay Area -- eucalyptus trees everywhere, palm trees, parrots, dry conditions, bright sunlight. The local residents are multi-cultural and seems to be from all over the Pacific Rim. There are lots and lots of ethnic restaurants nearby, ranging from Greek to Thai, to Vietnamese and Russian. I went for a slow jog down by the river this morning -- the Yarra River runs through the heart of the city and features running/biking paths on both sides. There's a lovely botanical gardens in that area, and lots of grassy spaces for footie playing. Australisn Rules Football is BIG, BIG, BIG down here, as there is a big-time professional league and the strongest teams are from this state (Victoria).
We spent today (Sunday) at Scotch College, the boys' school where the conference is to be held, beginning tomorrow afternoon. It is a spectacular place with TWO 500-seat auditoriums and fabulous grass fields everywhere, manicured gardens, tidy dormitories ("boarding houses"), and lots of outdoor spaces for students and teachers to congregate and socialize. It has the feel of an English boarding school but with cacti and tropical plants everywhere. Very incongruous! I bumped into Casey Schoeberlein this afternoon -- she went to Brymn Mawr, then SMU, then back to Gilman to teach in the Lower School for a few years. (Chan, you might remember that she worked the soccer camp one year.) Now she's at St. Mark's School in Dallas and is here to present a workshop for the conference. Tonight, Pete and I are having dinner with Charley Stilwell (St. Christopher's School in Richmond), and his 15 year-old daughter, Janie, who came along for the adventure.
Internet is hard to come by and expensive here, but I'll try to check in once a day to give updates on life Down Under. Thinking of all of you in B-More and New London!
Wednesday, July 4, 2012
Working on last-minute logistics for this summer of travel! I'll be traveling VERY light, though the evening temps in Melbourne creep down into the 30s at this time of year. I fly out of Dulles on Thursday afternoon (Virgin Air), spend 4 hours in LAX, then fly Virgin Australia to Sydney (15 hours!), and then from Sydney to Melbourne (hour and a half), arriving at 9:30 a.m. on Saturday. I have board meetings all afternoon on Saturday, then a board dinner, then it looks like meetings all day Sunday, with Sunday evening free. More meetings on Monday morning, and the conference begins on Monday afternoon. The sessions look great -- if you want to take a gander, the site is
http://www.theibsc.org/page.cfm?p=1492
I'll try to send an early message on Saturday night...
Au revoir!
http://www.theibsc.org/page.cfm?p=1492
I'll try to send an early message on Saturday night...
Au revoir!
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