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!