| I thought I was leaving on Friday and actually that is the date I was supposed to leave, but someone goofed and I’m leaving Saturday. The flight leaves from LAX at 11:30pm, which means I’m almost leaving on Sunday and won’t arrive till 6am, Monday, my first day of work. That day we’re beginning the placement assessments. I hope we have them work on the reading test or just write. I’ll be able to proctor a test but I doubt I’ll be able to be alert enough to rate people’s speaking.So I’ve got an extra day to prepare and think I’m in good shape. Got my haircut and picked up my visa and passport today. I expected a long line like I saw last week, but I lucked out. There was just one person ahead of me today.
I had time to take some photos of downtown, pick up some provisions at Trader Joe’s and stop in the Loyola Library which I hoped would have some ESL books, but they moved those to their other campus. I followed a colleague’s smart move and got several small containers of candy to have a supply of small gifts, which can come in handy. Tomorrow I’ve got to get a new driver’s license and run a number of errands and listen to the listening test recordings. I hope to have lunch with a friend tomorrow too. So even if I had two or three extra days, I’m sure I’d fill them up and the frenzy is inevitable. |
Countdown to Guangdong
31 Aug 2011 Leave a Comment
Columbia, Indiana: Authentic, Unique and Unspoiled
31 Aug 2011 Leave a Comment
in architecture, travel
First Christian Church, Columbus, Indiana
For years I’ve wanted to visit Columbus, Indiana, famous for its excellent architecture, which they have thanks to Irwin Miller.
Irwin Miller was a visionary. After serving in the army during WWII, Miller took over his family’s business Cummins Engine Company and turned the failing company around. His greatest achievement though is the stellar architecture in his hometown of Columbus, Indiana.
Miller is an architecture lover who noted that the magnificent buildings of Oxford and Cambridge are proof of the vision of their creators. (Miller studied philosophy, economics and politics at Oxford.) Thus he believed that new architecture should do the same, look to the future rather than just copy the past, which he asserted shows a lack of creativity.
When the First Christian Church needed a new building, he convinced Finnish architect, Eliel Saarenin who’d designed the St. Louis Gateway Arch and Winnetka’s Crow Island School*, to build the new church. Later when the town needed a new school he offered the school board a deal, “I’ll put together a list of five architects and if you choose one of them, I’ll pay the design fees.” They accepted his offer and the Lillian C. Schmitt Elementary School was the result.
Miller and the Cummins Foundation has paid the architecture fees for over 50 buildings in Columbus. Consequently, despite a population of just 44,000, Columbus has been ranked 6th in U.S. for architectural innovation behind New York, Boston, Washington D.C., Chicago and San Francisco.
The Visitors’ Center offers an interesting video on how Miller started this endeavor highlighting much of the public art and architecture. They also have a good video describing Miller’s House, which is now a museum, that you must reserve weeks in advance to see.
The visitor center’s staff is friendly and informative. Many of the important buildings are within walking distance of the center as are some reasonably priced restaurants with good lunch offerings. You can’t get into most of the churches, which is disappointing.
The Visitors’ Center offers a bus tour for $20 per person to see some of the more distant sights, though you might prefer the freedom of driving to them with a map the center sells. Cell phone walking tours are also on offer.
Though I’m not always a big fan of modern architecture, I loved Columbus. I’m already planning a return visit. I stayed with relatives near Indianapolis, but there are plenty of accommodations in the area. Wouldn’t you want to see a hostel here?
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Word of the Week
28 Aug 2011 Leave a Comment
in words
Kid drunk: when a child consumes too much sugar and/or caffeine and as a result becomes hyper, out of control and/or obnoxious.
Weekly Photo Challenge: Up
28 Aug 2011 5 Comments
in Blogging Challenge, meme, travel Tags: DailyPost, Photograph, postaday2011, postaweek2011
Loretto Chapel, Santa Fe, NM
New to The Daily Post? Whether you’re a beginner or a professional, you’re invited to get involved in our Weekly Photo Challenge to help you meet your blogging goals and give you another way to take part in Post a Day / Post a Week. Everyone is welcome to participate, even if your blog isn’t about photography.
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I Saw Sunday
28 Aug 2011 5 Comments
Here’s a new meme: I Saw Sunday
So, what did you see this week?
One thing or a whole list! – Words or photos or both!
Share it here with us.
The Rules
1. Write your post on your blog and include a link back to I Saw Sunday.
2. Leave the link to your post in the Mr Linky widget so we can find you.
3. Leave a comment after linking so that I know you have been here.
4. Please be sure to visit the other participants and share what they saw.
Interesting conversation
My sister’s friend K. was over and she works for a large office furniture company. When we were talking about the economy and the poor job growth she mentioned how her company let many experienced people go a couple years ago. When the economy started to improve and they had lots of orders rather than rehiring the skilled knowledgeable people, they just hired temps. So they had a lot of people making mistakes and taking a long time to produce each item. They just didn’t want to be “stuck” with an old, trained employee.
After awhile the temps got better, but the orders decreased so they let them go.
Then the economy got better again and they had more orders. Yep, they hired newbies again and quality slumped. (Much of their furniture is made in the U.S. with components made elsewhere.) Also their suppliers were applying the same “thinking” to how they would hire.
It’s so illogical and speaks to the weakness of thinking the worker is just a cog, not worthy or respect or important for our success. Also, cutting is not the best way to excellence. I guess that the employer may not want to go back to the experienced employee, because that would take some good people skills. The lack of the ability to deal with a person after an unfortunate experience is hurting these companies. Seems part of the economy’s problems stem from management.
I also went to the Art Institute and saw some good Asian art. Like this:
Japanese Ukiyo e print
Now I want to collect some of these prints. I’ve got two, though not by these artists. These are 20th century works and more modern than the others I’ve seen at the Art Institute. When I left Japan after teaching there for 3 years, the principal of my junior high school gave me a Utamaro print. I’m now thinking of bringing it to China.
Finally, I saw and enjoyed The Help.
Weekly Photo Challenge: Up
27 Aug 2011 14 Comments
in architecture, Blogging Challenge, meme, travel Tags: Chicago, DailyPost, Photograph, postaday2011, postaweek2011
New to The Daily Post? Whether you’re a beginner or a professional, you’re invited to get involved in our Weekly Photo Challenge to help you meet your blogging goals and give you another way to take part in Post a Day / Post a Week. Everyone is welcome to participate, even if your blog isn’t about photography.
Here’s how it works:
1. Each week, we’ll provide a theme for creative inspiration. You take photographs based on your interpretation of the theme, and post them on your blog anytime before the following Friday when the next photo theme will be announced.
2. To make it easy for others to check out your photos, title your blog post “Weekly Photo Challenge: (theme of the week)” and be sure to use a “postaday2011″ or “postaweek2011″ tag.
3. Subscribe to The Daily Post so that you don’t miss out on weekly challenge announcements. Sign up via the email subscription link in the sidebar or RSS.
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Ukiyo-e Prints
24 Aug 2011 Leave a Comment
in art
Ukiyo e woodcut at the Art Institute
Art Institute Chicago
These are all 20th century ukiyo e’s. I love the colors. I have two prints and really should collect these.
Weekly Photo Challenge: Flowers
23 Aug 2011 1 Comment
in Blogging Challenge, meme, travel Tags: DailyPost, Flower, Photograph, postaday2011, postaweek2011, sunflower
Madrid, NM
New to The Daily Post? Whether you’re a beginner or a professional, you’re invited to get involved in our Weekly Photo Challenge to help you meet your blogging goals and give you another way to take part in Post a Day / Post a Week. Everyone is welcome to participate, even if your blog isn’t about photography.
Here’s how it works:
1. Each week, we’ll provide a theme for creative inspiration. You take photographs based on your interpretation of the theme, and post them on your blog anytime before the following Friday when the next photo theme will be announced.
2. To make it easy for others to check out your photos, title your blog post “Weekly Photo Challenge: (theme of the week)” and be sure to use a “postaday2011″ or “postaweek2011″ tag.
3. Subscribe to The Daily Post so that you don’t miss out on weekly challenge announcements. Sign up via the email subscription link in the sidebar or RSS.
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Chinese Consulate, the Sequel
22 Aug 2011 Leave a Comment
I went back to the Chinese Consulate in Chicago to submit my visa application. I had to go after lunch as I’ve got nieces and nephews here this week and that changes scheduling considerably. When I walked into the waiting room at 1:50pm, there was probably over twice as many people waiting to submit their paperwork. The line to pick up the visas had at least 45 people in it. If the first day, my wait was over 3 hours, how long would this one be? After all, there weren’t more clerks on hand. Good thing I brought a couple good books.
The funny thing was the line moved twice as fast as on Friday. Huh? Why? Well, my theory is since the clerks are there all day, it might not matter how efficient they are or how long people must wait, so why go quickly. It could be that everyone on Friday had complicated situations and today they didn’t. Yet, I just don’t think that’s it.
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I Saw Sunday
21 Aug 2011 5 Comments
Here’s a new meme: I Saw Sunday
So, what did you see this week?
One thing or a whole list! – Words or photos or both!
Share it here with us.
The Rules
1. Write your post on your blog and include a link back to I Saw Sunday.
2. Leave the link to your post in the Mr Linky widget so we can find you.
3. Leave a comment after linking so that I know you have been here.
4. Please be sure to visit the other participants and share what they saw.
I spent Monday exploring Albuquerque and New Mexico’s Turquoise Trail, Hwy 14.
San Felippe Neri Church, Albuquerque, NM
Adobe architecture in Albuquerque's Old Town
Thai Buddhist Temple, Albuquerque, NM
Along Hwy 14, Madrid, NM
Car parked off Hwy 14, Madrid, NM
Madrid, NM: Shop Sign
I can see that New Mexico earns it’s title of the Land of Enchantment. The landscape is stark, yet dramatic and there’s so much art, crafts and jewelry. I was surprised by Albuquerque’s Buddhist temple, which I found by accident. The Thai people who were there were so welcoming and friendly. I loved discovering Madrid, NM as the prices were much better than Santa Fe’s.
I also got to see the Chinese consulate where I waited for over 2 hours to submit my visa application. More on that next week. I do think my observation that entering a country’s consulate is like going to that country, it prepares you for some of the attitudes and the pace of life in that part of the world.
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