Wednesday 6 July 2011
New York; The Met and the East End.
Wow..I had forgotten how amazing New York is, how much traffic there is and how many people there are. But it has a happy buzz to it, an array of people from diverse backgrounds and no matter how busy people are a smile and a hello. The accent is becoming very useful, traveling alone I am never lonely, once I had opened my mouth there was always a ...where you from..you aint from around here..and conversation was flowing. Even when doing some laundry or standing waiting for the train, and you don't feel at your best to make conversation. Although the laundry is always a neat place to meet people. You can tell a lot about a person by how they wash...do they shove it all in, colours, whites and black, do they sort, hand wash, fold when its dry to lessen ironing or push it with force back into the plastic bag they dragged it down in so it is all nice an crumply!!!
I was little unwell (very unwell in NYC with a sore throat so laid low a couple of days) in NYC so was frustrated not to achieve more. But I met yet another amazing individual, Theresa Bryne. Theresa is a visual and performance artist who does amaing installation and visual art work, she writes and makes film of her work. Theresa has a great little studio in the east end which was quaint and very earthy. I met Theresa as she was wheeling down the street carrying a hunk of wood that she thought would clean up nicely to work with. Her studio is filled with her remarkable work, her books and DVDs. We chatted all afternoon and then she showed me to the bus. It was hot, hot, hot but again I learned something new and made contact with someone I respect and admire. Check her out at....
The next day I went to the Metropolitan Museum of Art all day. From when it opened until it shut. The Steve McQueen exhibition was amazing. It was something else to see not one but a room full of Monet, Renior, Van Gough, Cezzame, painting after painting. I felt it helped me to appreciate the techniques that these great painters contribute. To see a number of paintings by Van Gough helps you to see how he built up paint in order to create movement, seeing them in person and being able to walk right up to them is so different to seeing pictures in books and magazines. There is no comparision. Even if you are not into art, go to an art gallery whenever you can.
The next day was to be the Guggenheim but I am feeling
I was little unwell (very unwell in NYC with a sore throat so laid low a couple of days) in NYC so was frustrated not to achieve more. But I met yet another amazing individual, Theresa Bryne. Theresa is a visual and performance artist who does amaing installation and visual art work, she writes and makes film of her work. Theresa has a great little studio in the east end which was quaint and very earthy. I met Theresa as she was wheeling down the street carrying a hunk of wood that she thought would clean up nicely to work with. Her studio is filled with her remarkable work, her books and DVDs. We chatted all afternoon and then she showed me to the bus. It was hot, hot, hot but again I learned something new and made contact with someone I respect and admire. Check her out at....
The next day I went to the Metropolitan Museum of Art all day. From when it opened until it shut. The Steve McQueen exhibition was amazing. It was something else to see not one but a room full of Monet, Renior, Van Gough, Cezzame, painting after painting. I felt it helped me to appreciate the techniques that these great painters contribute. To see a number of paintings by Van Gough helps you to see how he built up paint in order to create movement, seeing them in person and being able to walk right up to them is so different to seeing pictures in books and magazines. There is no comparision. Even if you are not into art, go to an art gallery whenever you can.
The next day was to be the Guggenheim but I am feeling
Remember to smell the Roses
Well study has finally ended and have to say I am sad. Dinner at the Harvard Club on Thursday night was a long walk through the hallowed grounds. I was awestruck, amazing gardens and architecture...you can feel the brains in all the libraries whirling. Dinner was oh so very polite...and I walked back to Harvard Square to catch a cab and stopped at the main library for a look. Like nothing you can imagine...
Tonight I had the honor of a wonderful dinner with a new friend Heather. When I arrived she gave me a gorgeous small painting of a red poppy. It is truly a treasure..but check out her website...her paintings are exquisite. We ate great vegetarian food and a little restaurant in Cambridge, the food was great some of the best vegetarian food ever. We chatted about art and the challenge of marketing work and Heathers up and coming exhibition. We clicked immediately and will keep in touch.
On Saturday morning I met Sebouh, a young photographer also from Boston. Sebouh takes amazing photos but is struggling to get people to assist him to really explore what he wants to do. After having a stroke in his early 20's Sebouh is finding that career counselling is centered around him being a disability advocate which does not match his aspirations. This is a real barrier to Sebouh building a life he is satisfied with. His photos demonstrate a real ability for someone who has almost constant double vision...I have some photos in my suitcase to bring home...
Sunday I answer emails, write some notes and take stroll around the Freedom Trail in Boston. Got lost on the train...its okay you just get off and go back to where you a started and try again. Boston is a pretty city on the water...shame I have no photos they are on my iphone that got lost.... more about that later.
Tonight I had the honor of a wonderful dinner with a new friend Heather. When I arrived she gave me a gorgeous small painting of a red poppy. It is truly a treasure..but check out her website...her paintings are exquisite. We ate great vegetarian food and a little restaurant in Cambridge, the food was great some of the best vegetarian food ever. We chatted about art and the challenge of marketing work and Heathers up and coming exhibition. We clicked immediately and will keep in touch.
On Saturday morning I met Sebouh, a young photographer also from Boston. Sebouh takes amazing photos but is struggling to get people to assist him to really explore what he wants to do. After having a stroke in his early 20's Sebouh is finding that career counselling is centered around him being a disability advocate which does not match his aspirations. This is a real barrier to Sebouh building a life he is satisfied with. His photos demonstrate a real ability for someone who has almost constant double vision...I have some photos in my suitcase to bring home...
Sunday I answer emails, write some notes and take stroll around the Freedom Trail in Boston. Got lost on the train...its okay you just get off and go back to where you a started and try again. Boston is a pretty city on the water...shame I have no photos they are on my iphone that got lost.... more about that later.
Wednesday 22 June 2011
Perception, Race, Debate & Genetics
Wednesday and I am finally making some friends and getting used to starting class at 8.00am each day and continuing until 6.30pm each night to go home and do the next days readings. I am trying to set a good example..At least I can tell students do what I do! Not just what I say!
Today we started with a small group discussion. Twice each day my study group, group 7 meets with our facilitator Rachel to discuss and debate issues and concepts raised. These sessions are invaluable. We are a diverse bunch with Hope from Hawaii, Karen from Costa Rica, Daisy working in Georgia (former USSR), Philip from New Orleans, and several others. This is valuable time, we dont always agree but it feels like a safe place to debate. Our early morning wake up discussion was followed by a presentation on perception and the impact of this on learning.
I had a quiet lunch - a roll I made in my suite and brought in myself, along with a banana and V8 juice I grabbed at breakfast while chatting with Debra MCall from New Hamptons in New York. We had a great chat about the Obama administration, dance therapy, the reversal of much of the social change achieved by the protests and civil movement in the 1960s the frustration about the ability for USA states to bring in legislative changes that take back many rights fought for and gained in the 1960'70 & early eighties.
Do you know that in the USA women actually get paid 20% less than a man for doing the same job!!! What!!!!
This was followed by Nancy Hills presentation on race and culture and she was like fingers down a blackboard - she advocates for a whole range of ideas around race that I dont believe, like race has a biological basis...aaagghhh. The Canadian's agreed and said listening to her was painful and they would rather have a root canal. The local participants loved her and believe in using race as a way of labelling people - they say so they can support variability. I am not advocating colour blindness, but I argue that ethnicity can provide acknowledgment of different life experiences without all the negativity. Least this session was followed by another small group discussion. My group were able to douse me with water to put out the fire!!!
Now I am listening to session on Genetics and Learning. Did you know that humans and fruit flies have similar genes linked to eye development!! What the! They are now saying that the environment within a cells,DNA & genes have a chemical impact on genes as much as cultural environment.Cognitive ability and height are both highly heritable but do not have individual genes that contribute much to their inheritance, AND MILLA EXPECTS TO BE TALL - not much chance of that.
Then one last session and home.
Harvard is like a precinct and is very preppy!! But it has a real sense of learning, people here are either students, teaching staff, researchers or retail and hospitality workers. People are all talking, or sitting in a cafe reading, the bookshops are packed and every second shop is a cafe. You can smell the money!
Today we started with a small group discussion. Twice each day my study group, group 7 meets with our facilitator Rachel to discuss and debate issues and concepts raised. These sessions are invaluable. We are a diverse bunch with Hope from Hawaii, Karen from Costa Rica, Daisy working in Georgia (former USSR), Philip from New Orleans, and several others. This is valuable time, we dont always agree but it feels like a safe place to debate. Our early morning wake up discussion was followed by a presentation on perception and the impact of this on learning.
I had a quiet lunch - a roll I made in my suite and brought in myself, along with a banana and V8 juice I grabbed at breakfast while chatting with Debra MCall from New Hamptons in New York. We had a great chat about the Obama administration, dance therapy, the reversal of much of the social change achieved by the protests and civil movement in the 1960s the frustration about the ability for USA states to bring in legislative changes that take back many rights fought for and gained in the 1960'70 & early eighties.
Do you know that in the USA women actually get paid 20% less than a man for doing the same job!!! What!!!!
This was followed by Nancy Hills presentation on race and culture and she was like fingers down a blackboard - she advocates for a whole range of ideas around race that I dont believe, like race has a biological basis...aaagghhh. The Canadian's agreed and said listening to her was painful and they would rather have a root canal. The local participants loved her and believe in using race as a way of labelling people - they say so they can support variability. I am not advocating colour blindness, but I argue that ethnicity can provide acknowledgment of different life experiences without all the negativity. Least this session was followed by another small group discussion. My group were able to douse me with water to put out the fire!!!
Now I am listening to session on Genetics and Learning. Did you know that humans and fruit flies have similar genes linked to eye development!! What the! They are now saying that the environment within a cells,DNA & genes have a chemical impact on genes as much as cultural environment.Cognitive ability and height are both highly heritable but do not have individual genes that contribute much to their inheritance, AND MILLA EXPECTS TO BE TALL - not much chance of that.
Then one last session and home.
Harvard is like a precinct and is very preppy!! But it has a real sense of learning, people here are either students, teaching staff, researchers or retail and hospitality workers. People are all talking, or sitting in a cafe reading, the bookshops are packed and every second shop is a cafe. You can smell the money!
Tuesday 21 June 2011
Mind Brain and Education - Grad School or Boot Camp
Sunday was a quiet day, the climate is strange, it is not that hot, yet, being outside sees you sweating heaps even when outside for only a few minutes. I notice that many people in New Orleans walk around with a face washer that they use to wipe away the sweat. It has taken me a few days to work that out. My last night at the Bombay club, great martinis, jazz and Steven the worlds best bartender. Met some nice people from Texas, had a chat, had a steak and home to pack for an early start tomorrow.
Monday morning up and at the airport at 6.15am, much quieter and more manageable than Austin which was a huge shock. But I got a little confident and stopped to check emails and missed my flight. A moments panic and definite destain from American Airlines agent and I was on priority standby to go to Dallas (no not again, this is ground hog day, my third connection via Dallas, but will it be my last?). I got on yeah, now I have to do this again in Dallas. In Dallas I managed to get on the flight to Boston. Sleep on both flights still not managing jet lag well. Should have taken a couple of days at the start of this trip to acclimatize...yeah I know you all told me, but I am also so eager...cant waste a minute...
Boston is beautiful but I am now here at 4.10pm and not 2.30pm and I school started at 3.30pm. Feeling stressed, long taxi ride to the hotel as it is now 5pm and peak hour traffic. Hotel is lovely a suite and nice staff. The bed is amazing, really want to lay down, it is calling me with its high pile of soft feather pillows and soft feather doona...oooh but now need to go to class. I throw on a dress, shoes a little makeup and grab a cab. Get in the cab and he has no idea where I need to go...bugga could this day get any worse...probably!! I google it using my phone...what is the bill going to be like?? I have been spoilt in Singapore with Taxis that know where they are going.
Finally here, have a glass of wine and there is food - yeah have not eaten all day. Class was interesting, if this is what it will be like it will be amazing. Get back to the hotel and decide I need supplies so I head off for a walk. I left my adapter at the Princes Conti in New Orleans so went searching,it is late and dark. The houses around here are lovely, walked for an hour and found a little supermarket but now I am lost. A couple of young women give me directions so it is home for white oreos and milk...the milk is nutritious!!! I did also have a cheese sandwich and an apple don't panic.
Back here at 7.45pm the next morning after leaving at 8.30pm last night... it is incredibly fantastic and interesting. Today we have been discussing neuroscience of learning, universal design for learning and a fantastic activity whereby all 60 of us were neurons and we had to be a neuonal network, with David Rose as a facilitator - too complex to explain ut it was fun.
Back tomorrow at 7.45am is this grad school or boot camp?
Monday morning up and at the airport at 6.15am, much quieter and more manageable than Austin which was a huge shock. But I got a little confident and stopped to check emails and missed my flight. A moments panic and definite destain from American Airlines agent and I was on priority standby to go to Dallas (no not again, this is ground hog day, my third connection via Dallas, but will it be my last?). I got on yeah, now I have to do this again in Dallas. In Dallas I managed to get on the flight to Boston. Sleep on both flights still not managing jet lag well. Should have taken a couple of days at the start of this trip to acclimatize...yeah I know you all told me, but I am also so eager...cant waste a minute...
Boston is beautiful but I am now here at 4.10pm and not 2.30pm and I school started at 3.30pm. Feeling stressed, long taxi ride to the hotel as it is now 5pm and peak hour traffic. Hotel is lovely a suite and nice staff. The bed is amazing, really want to lay down, it is calling me with its high pile of soft feather pillows and soft feather doona...oooh but now need to go to class. I throw on a dress, shoes a little makeup and grab a cab. Get in the cab and he has no idea where I need to go...bugga could this day get any worse...probably!! I google it using my phone...what is the bill going to be like?? I have been spoilt in Singapore with Taxis that know where they are going.
Finally here, have a glass of wine and there is food - yeah have not eaten all day. Class was interesting, if this is what it will be like it will be amazing. Get back to the hotel and decide I need supplies so I head off for a walk. I left my adapter at the Princes Conti in New Orleans so went searching,it is late and dark. The houses around here are lovely, walked for an hour and found a little supermarket but now I am lost. A couple of young women give me directions so it is home for white oreos and milk...the milk is nutritious!!! I did also have a cheese sandwich and an apple don't panic.
Back here at 7.45pm the next morning after leaving at 8.30pm last night... it is incredibly fantastic and interesting. Today we have been discussing neuroscience of learning, universal design for learning and a fantastic activity whereby all 60 of us were neurons and we had to be a neuonal network, with David Rose as a facilitator - too complex to explain ut it was fun.
Back tomorrow at 7.45am is this grad school or boot camp?
Friday 17 June 2011
Layafette, Deyne and New Friendships
Under Construction...remind me to fill you in on
Driving without a GPS
Leaving my cell (I mean mobile) in my hotel
2 hours was actually 3.5 hours
Deyne
Sarah and St Pierres
Kim, Stephen, Miss Breda and David
Mike and his family
Caroline
Lisa
Katherine
Art Walk Abouts
Recipe cards
The Blue Dog, catfish, crawfish, shrimp and stuffed crab as well as raspberry beer (yes only in Louisiana). Dr Peppers and tabasco.
Diane and my new inspiration Lynette...next time I complain of being tired just say Lynette!
Driving without a GPS
Leaving my cell (I mean mobile) in my hotel
2 hours was actually 3.5 hours
Deyne
Sarah and St Pierres
Kim, Stephen, Miss Breda and David
Mike and his family
Caroline
Lisa
Katherine
Art Walk Abouts
Recipe cards
The Blue Dog, catfish, crawfish, shrimp and stuffed crab as well as raspberry beer (yes only in Louisiana). Dr Peppers and tabasco.
Diane and my new inspiration Lynette...next time I complain of being tired just say Lynette!
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