Over the past several days, it has been business as usual , you know in the sense that all conferences go about their business.... sessions lead to sessions and then you have a coffee break and then more sessions...
At last on Thursday, the time came for my presentation with Katherine on surviving the first year as a iEARNER. It was done in a panel style presentation with 7 other groups doing the same thing..... 6 minutes long and no more. When the slide changed, you better shift what you were talking about and get on with the program. Katherine did a fabulous job with the powerpoint and we received accolades about how the presentation captured the essence of what really happens during that learning period.
Once that was finished, then the evening and the cultural gala loomed. I had gotten some of the silliest head antenna things for our USA showing, that I could find. But... we still have no " act" to represent the USA and we are running out of practice time. And..... half the people have no idea we are even trying to do anything... Be that as it may, we went to the gala and watched all the countries in their garb doing their " act" and we just resolved that our participation would be like most times when we didn't participate..... The Argentinian staff wouldn't let that go though and started playing the old USA standbye : YMCA ....
aw come on, you know it is ... don't even try to tell me differently..............I must say that it did go rather well and the crowd in the ball room got into it very quickly!! so.... we were a success and the talk immediately started about what to do next year.... that made me chuckle because next year is a LONG time away and not likely to be remembered until right before the event again.
The singing, dancing , picture taking and trading commenced...... I must say that my favorite thing all night was giving one of the Iranian girls my absolutely fabulous red , sequined, star studded hat...... she started to smile that smile that warms your heart and then got all excited and was laughing and wearing the hat ( which she wouldn't leave alone ) She wouldn't let the others take a picture with it on claiming it was hers.... which is true and she deserved it. They did a youth summit workshop ( the one I want to take some students to next year ) and their presentation was very well done. I finally got their principal ( she is titled the Manager ) to agree to let them come visit LHS.... and she shook a binding handshake....
Friday was really mellow......... some sessions, some closing remarks and a very long walk along the beach to sit and listen to the whales for one last time. They were so close and there was so very many of them.......... we couldn't keep straight for trying to turn our heads every time one breeched............
Gala celebration was grand, and the dancing was fierce.... it seems that once tango music comes on , everyone becomes and experienced tango dancer. Actually there were some folks that were just amazingly graceful and a pure joy to watch. Since most people were leaving on the 5:30 shuttle bus, the party didn't last as long as it could have.... but it was fun while it lasted.
You know, you really don't get to see the worst parts of people usually while you are gathered for an event like this.... but it took a lot for me to keep my composure in my room this week. I am a very neat traveler and think that certain protocol is necessary especially when you are sharing a room........like don't stay up all night packing and keep others awake just because you don't see the point in going to bed ; or don't leave toothpaste all over the sink or not flush the toilet...... but I think I could have lived with all of the thoughtless things until I went and checked out this morning. It should have been simple, expected it to be simple.... was it simple? I mean what could possibly make it hard .... what really? I took my keys to the front desk and waited patiently for my receipt....I wasn't given my receipt... nope it was two charges to the room I was give. I looked at them and asked what they would like me to do with them..... I was told I needed to pay them............ Say what? I think not !! I didn't charge anything...... what exactly were the charges for , please? Oh wait!!!! Umm that isn't me signature... it is my roommate's..... I am not paying her bill , thank you very much. I did feel badly for the desk lady, I mean I know she was only doing her job, but it wasn't me.... My room mate left on the 5: 30 shuttle I said and I asked if my room mate had checked out, why they hadn't allsgiven her the bill.............they said she hadn't checked out and they would give it to het when she came down to check out!! I told them again that she was gone and the bill was not mine.............
So now you are saying the day cannot get worse , right? I mean it just can't right? The 30 minute trip to the airport in Trelew was uneventful...... we arrived and got checked in ( with some minor sqirmishes about charges and weight overages) and headed to get some coffee and watch the Argentina game. Now guys, believe me when I say that I like soccer.....but our flight was delayed for 1 hour so that everyone could finish watching the game....Game over ! Argentina wins! Life can start again. Flight relatively uneventful until about two hours before getting to Buenos Aires and then the weather was so horrible that we bounced around like in a jumpy thing....Landing was possibly to be diverted as the weather was just so so bad....but we made it and then the real adventure began. Finally found our way to the transfer bus and got the heck out of the wee tiny domestic airport and into the big daddy airport... you know, the one that is international, that can send people to other countries... so I am not really sure what happened this night...........
We went through security, again... first part A ok..... second part with the little people behind the glass and the pictures and finger prints, still ok..... third part : you know this one - the ex-ray , put your stuff up , clean your pockets out part..... So I took my jacket off, put the slate in the tub, passport and bag on counter...... walk through the scanner and they wave me over ...... and where is it that you are going? New York USA I say.... second and third person ask me ...and where is it you are going? Sighing I say New York USA........ come here........is this your bag? Yes it is..... open it please..... ok................anything I can find for you, or move for you? Of course not........tear the bag apart in side for what? Beats the crap out of me..............I have no earthly idea because the little man seemed confused............. zipped it up and away we went............. But, at this point they should have told us our flight was cancelled and gotten us to our hotel.............. it is now 8pm and we are roaming the halls of the airport searching for a place to put our weary butts down while they are deciding our gate............ should have been a sign...... the fact that soon there were no people in the airport should have been a sign..............and yet we were not in on the sign............
At last on Thursday, the time came for my presentation with Katherine on surviving the first year as a iEARNER. It was done in a panel style presentation with 7 other groups doing the same thing..... 6 minutes long and no more. When the slide changed, you better shift what you were talking about and get on with the program. Katherine did a fabulous job with the powerpoint and we received accolades about how the presentation captured the essence of what really happens during that learning period.
Once that was finished, then the evening and the cultural gala loomed. I had gotten some of the silliest head antenna things for our USA showing, that I could find. But... we still have no " act" to represent the USA and we are running out of practice time. And..... half the people have no idea we are even trying to do anything... Be that as it may, we went to the gala and watched all the countries in their garb doing their " act" and we just resolved that our participation would be like most times when we didn't participate..... The Argentinian staff wouldn't let that go though and started playing the old USA standbye : YMCA ....
aw come on, you know it is ... don't even try to tell me differently..............I must say that it did go rather well and the crowd in the ball room got into it very quickly!! so.... we were a success and the talk immediately started about what to do next year.... that made me chuckle because next year is a LONG time away and not likely to be remembered until right before the event again.
The singing, dancing , picture taking and trading commenced...... I must say that my favorite thing all night was giving one of the Iranian girls my absolutely fabulous red , sequined, star studded hat...... she started to smile that smile that warms your heart and then got all excited and was laughing and wearing the hat ( which she wouldn't leave alone ) She wouldn't let the others take a picture with it on claiming it was hers.... which is true and she deserved it. They did a youth summit workshop ( the one I want to take some students to next year ) and their presentation was very well done. I finally got their principal ( she is titled the Manager ) to agree to let them come visit LHS.... and she shook a binding handshake....
Friday was really mellow......... some sessions, some closing remarks and a very long walk along the beach to sit and listen to the whales for one last time. They were so close and there was so very many of them.......... we couldn't keep straight for trying to turn our heads every time one breeched............
Gala celebration was grand, and the dancing was fierce.... it seems that once tango music comes on , everyone becomes and experienced tango dancer. Actually there were some folks that were just amazingly graceful and a pure joy to watch. Since most people were leaving on the 5:30 shuttle bus, the party didn't last as long as it could have.... but it was fun while it lasted.
You know, you really don't get to see the worst parts of people usually while you are gathered for an event like this.... but it took a lot for me to keep my composure in my room this week. I am a very neat traveler and think that certain protocol is necessary especially when you are sharing a room........like don't stay up all night packing and keep others awake just because you don't see the point in going to bed ; or don't leave toothpaste all over the sink or not flush the toilet...... but I think I could have lived with all of the thoughtless things until I went and checked out this morning. It should have been simple, expected it to be simple.... was it simple? I mean what could possibly make it hard .... what really? I took my keys to the front desk and waited patiently for my receipt....I wasn't given my receipt... nope it was two charges to the room I was give. I looked at them and asked what they would like me to do with them..... I was told I needed to pay them............ Say what? I think not !! I didn't charge anything...... what exactly were the charges for , please? Oh wait!!!! Umm that isn't me signature... it is my roommate's..... I am not paying her bill , thank you very much. I did feel badly for the desk lady, I mean I know she was only doing her job, but it wasn't me.... My room mate left on the 5: 30 shuttle I said and I asked if my room mate had checked out, why they hadn't allsgiven her the bill.............they said she hadn't checked out and they would give it to het when she came down to check out!! I told them again that she was gone and the bill was not mine.............
So now you are saying the day cannot get worse , right? I mean it just can't right? The 30 minute trip to the airport in Trelew was uneventful...... we arrived and got checked in ( with some minor sqirmishes about charges and weight overages) and headed to get some coffee and watch the Argentina game. Now guys, believe me when I say that I like soccer.....but our flight was delayed for 1 hour so that everyone could finish watching the game....Game over ! Argentina wins! Life can start again. Flight relatively uneventful until about two hours before getting to Buenos Aires and then the weather was so horrible that we bounced around like in a jumpy thing....Landing was possibly to be diverted as the weather was just so so bad....but we made it and then the real adventure began. Finally found our way to the transfer bus and got the heck out of the wee tiny domestic airport and into the big daddy airport... you know, the one that is international, that can send people to other countries... so I am not really sure what happened this night...........
We went through security, again... first part A ok..... second part with the little people behind the glass and the pictures and finger prints, still ok..... third part : you know this one - the ex-ray , put your stuff up , clean your pockets out part..... So I took my jacket off, put the slate in the tub, passport and bag on counter...... walk through the scanner and they wave me over ...... and where is it that you are going? New York USA I say.... second and third person ask me ...and where is it you are going? Sighing I say New York USA........ come here........is this your bag? Yes it is..... open it please..... ok................anything I can find for you, or move for you? Of course not........tear the bag apart in side for what? Beats the crap out of me..............I have no earthly idea because the little man seemed confused............. zipped it up and away we went............. But, at this point they should have told us our flight was cancelled and gotten us to our hotel.............. it is now 8pm and we are roaming the halls of the airport searching for a place to put our weary butts down while they are deciding our gate............ should have been a sign...... the fact that soon there were no people in the airport should have been a sign..............and yet we were not in on the sign............
That stinks. Next year, you should take me as a roommate. I'd be Great! :). You may have had all the searching as the US has asked foreign countries to step up their security due to the dummies in Iraq.
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