Monday, March 26, 2007
Unforgettable Sleepless Webheads in Seattle
This album is powered by BubbleShare - Add to my blog
It will never be possible to translate this confluence of very special souls into the same space! Certainly the concept of Communities of Practice expanded its meaning in our Sleepless Seattle encounters!
Amazing to meet you all face-to-face and keep talking to others online.
Thanks, guys!
I'll never be the same. It made me speechless after Seattle!
Beijos,
Carla
It will never be possible to translate this confluence of very special souls into the same space! Certainly the concept of Communities of Practice expanded its meaning in our Sleepless Seattle encounters!
Amazing to meet you all face-to-face and keep talking to others online.
Thanks, guys!
I'll never be the same. It made me speechless after Seattle!
Beijos,
Carla
Home Again (Nina)
I actually got home last night, but was (am) so tired and then so busy that I couldn't write a post. It was a long day: up at 4 a.m. for a 7:20 flight to Dallas/Fort Worth (not the most direct route to Maryland, admittedly), and did not get home until 9:30 p.m. (6:30 Seattle time, but still long). Up at 6 this morning to go to work. At least I only had to teach 2 hours--not 8, like Bee (how did you do it, Bee??)!
I've uploaded all 156 photos to my computer, but creating albums and posting them will take a while. I've just added a small slider to "The Last Dinner." More to follow.
I've uploaded all 156 photos to my computer, but creating albums and posting them will take a while. I've just added a small slider to "The Last Dinner." More to follow.
Sunday, March 25, 2007
Salam from Washington DC
Hi from DC!
My trip and discovieries of America are continuing, and today I have arrived to Washington DC Whoopy. It was too difficult for me to leave my US host family who became so dear for me and did their best to make me feel comfortable and unforgetable trip. I wish to thank my host dad Ken and mom - Pam, as well as my host sister Abby for all the things that they did for me.
Last night we had Farewell Party and I and my host mom cooked Oshi Palov and could manage to cook it :) We had even Puppet Theater which was organized by my fellow TESOL participant from Uzbekistan. We had reallyt fun evening :) But today in the morning it was difficult to say "Bye" to my host family and Seattle. This rainy city is really beautiful and EverGreen!
So I won't forget Seattle and hope in the nearest future I will be able to come back and it is my DREAM ;)
Ibrahim-JOHN
My trip and discovieries of America are continuing, and today I have arrived to Washington DC Whoopy. It was too difficult for me to leave my US host family who became so dear for me and did their best to make me feel comfortable and unforgetable trip. I wish to thank my host dad Ken and mom - Pam, as well as my host sister Abby for all the things that they did for me.
Last night we had Farewell Party and I and my host mom cooked Oshi Palov and could manage to cook it :) We had even Puppet Theater which was organized by my fellow TESOL participant from Uzbekistan. We had reallyt fun evening :) But today in the morning it was difficult to say "Bye" to my host family and Seattle. This rainy city is really beautiful and EverGreen!
So I won't forget Seattle and hope in the nearest future I will be able to come back and it is my DREAM ;)
Ibrahim-JOHN
Finally in Sao Paulo
I suddenly realized that I left you all on Friday without having paid for my glass of wine. Sorry for that. Owe you one.
I went upstairs in to make my suitcase to find out that the lock was stuck and it wouldn't close. Fortunately there were two locks on the side, which held it all somewhat together and the check-in lady gave me some tape to reinforce it. The airport was crowded at 6 am already , with long slow queues everywhere. I said goodbye to Paola who continued in the taxi to another terminal and Daf who was headed to Atlanta. It took me quite some time to go past the whole security business. The plane took off at 8 am and after an hour of heavy turbulence and shakes we safely landed aT JFK at 3:30 pm, where I waited until 9 pm to get my connecting flight to Sao Paulo (used the business lounge again).
The flight home was uneventful but for a Korean guy who did not understand my request for moving to two empty seats so that I could have three in the middle and stretch down. He insisted on staying next to his wife who sat on the aisle next to him :-(
As we neared Brasilia, we noticed the plane was flying in circles and the pilot informed us we were going to Rio instead as the airport in Sao Paulo was closed and he needed more fuel. We waited in Rio for 2:30 hours for permission to take off to Sao Paulo until 10:30 am (we should have landed there at 8 am). We finally landed aT 11:30 (my son had almost given up on me) and as there were lots of planes arriving at the same time, I only managed to drive home at 2 pm., where I just had a shower and went straight to bed to wake up now at 8 pm with the telephone ringing. Tomorrow - 8 hours of classes at school!
However, in spite of all these delays, I do not regret a single moment of having participated at this conference. It was awesome meeting and being with all of you. We should plan to do this more often (without the conference bit...hehehe). Who knows we can get another WiA jamboree for the Braz-Tesol conference in Fortaleza next year?
My photos are on Flickr if you care to see
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bee/
and I would appreciate if you all could send me the address to yours. Or just tag them all with wia2007tesol and they will pop up in Technorati.
I went upstairs in to make my suitcase to find out that the lock was stuck and it wouldn't close. Fortunately there were two locks on the side, which held it all somewhat together and the check-in lady gave me some tape to reinforce it. The airport was crowded at 6 am already , with long slow queues everywhere. I said goodbye to Paola who continued in the taxi to another terminal and Daf who was headed to Atlanta. It took me quite some time to go past the whole security business. The plane took off at 8 am and after an hour of heavy turbulence and shakes we safely landed aT JFK at 3:30 pm, where I waited until 9 pm to get my connecting flight to Sao Paulo (used the business lounge again).
The flight home was uneventful but for a Korean guy who did not understand my request for moving to two empty seats so that I could have three in the middle and stretch down. He insisted on staying next to his wife who sat on the aisle next to him :-(
As we neared Brasilia, we noticed the plane was flying in circles and the pilot informed us we were going to Rio instead as the airport in Sao Paulo was closed and he needed more fuel. We waited in Rio for 2:30 hours for permission to take off to Sao Paulo until 10:30 am (we should have landed there at 8 am). We finally landed aT 11:30 (my son had almost given up on me) and as there were lots of planes arriving at the same time, I only managed to drive home at 2 pm., where I just had a shower and went straight to bed to wake up now at 8 pm with the telephone ringing. Tomorrow - 8 hours of classes at school!
However, in spite of all these delays, I do not regret a single moment of having participated at this conference. It was awesome meeting and being with all of you. We should plan to do this more often (without the conference bit...hehehe). Who knows we can get another WiA jamboree for the Braz-Tesol conference in Fortaleza next year?
My photos are on Flickr if you care to see
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bee/
and I would appreciate if you all could send me the address to yours. Or just tag them all with wia2007tesol and they will pop up in Technorati.
Late Night Laughs
I'm back in sunny, snowy Montreal to catch up on the sleeplessness from Seattle. Here are some pics from late-night laughing webheads on our last night together. How nice to know as we each return home, that we're all still just a click away....Jane
Thank you
Thanks from the fledgling webhead in the group. Meeting you all was a wonderful experience and really made an impact on me. There was a real sense of community that was otherwise difficult to find in such a large conference. Your warmth and enthusiasm inspire me to continue on the blogging path, and I hope to start work with wikis soon and to try to find out more about blikis.
The pace of the conference has finally caught up with me; I got home a little before midnight last night. Today I am definitely in slow mode.
Looking forward to meeting up with you again in the future, although it probably will not be NY next year. I'll be off to TESL Canada in the metropolis of Moncton, NB, in May, and two trips to the east coast within two months, will be a little tricky to pull off. So I'm looking forward to Denver!
Warm wishes to all of you from still snowy Edmonton,
Veronica
The pace of the conference has finally caught up with me; I got home a little before midnight last night. Today I am definitely in slow mode.
Looking forward to meeting up with you again in the future, although it probably will not be NY next year. I'll be off to TESL Canada in the metropolis of Moncton, NB, in May, and two trips to the east coast within two months, will be a little tricky to pull off. So I'm looking forward to Denver!
Warm wishes to all of you from still snowy Edmonton,
Veronica
Saturday, March 24, 2007
Last day
Good morning dear all!
Where are you? Today is my last day in Seattle. Tomorrow I will be in DC. Hopefully I will meet Nina there.
For now I wish to meet some other Webheads and have some more hugs on behalf of Hala. Where are you Daf and Tere?
After two hours I'll leave Convention Center:( Hopefully I will be able to come and meet some other fellow Webheads in NY-2008, especially Dennis and Hala
Ibrahim-John :)
Where are you? Today is my last day in Seattle. Tomorrow I will be in DC. Hopefully I will meet Nina there.
For now I wish to meet some other Webheads and have some more hugs on behalf of Hala. Where are you Daf and Tere?
After two hours I'll leave Convention Center:( Hopefully I will be able to come and meet some other fellow Webheads in NY-2008, especially Dennis and Hala
Ibrahim-John :)
The Last Dinner
Last night (Friday), most of the webheads got together for a fabulous dinner at Genghiz Khan (a Chinese restaurant on 1st Avenue), thanks to Veronica's husband, who ate here several years ago and pronounced it very good (it was). Veronica made us a reservation for 10, and we agreed to meet in the lobby of the Convention Center at 7; but only a few people showed up, Anna, Veronica, Bee. Wondering where everyone was, we left for the restaurant at 7:15. We found Chris waiting for us in solitary splendor. Gradually, however, people began showing up, and by the end there were of us, if I counted correctly. It was a lovely dinner, good food, great company as you know (considering how many of us had never met f2f before this week, it's astonishing how well we all get along). I will post a photo album when I get home, as will the others I am sure (and there will be lots of duplicate shots, so please bear with us!).
This album is powered by BubbleShare - Add to my blog
After dinner, most of us headed back to the Red Lion's "Elephant and Castle" pub, where the fun continued until after midnight. Everyone was exhausted, but no one wanted to leave (except Bee, who had to leave for the airport at 5 a.m.--bon voyage, Bee, and put up a post to let us know you arrived home safe and sound). It got pretty crazy, as you will see from the pictures!
This album is powered by BubbleShare - Add to my blog
Most of the webheads are leaving today. :-( But we are already talking about next year in New York. This is a potentially accessible convention for me, being only a 4-5-hour drive from Maryland, so I am hopeful that I will be able to be there!
As I write this it is 8:15, time to leave for my workshop (they are providing breakfast and lunch!!!). Hello to all the webheads out there--have a safe journey home!
This album is powered by BubbleShare - Add to my blog
After dinner, most of us headed back to the Red Lion's "Elephant and Castle" pub, where the fun continued until after midnight. Everyone was exhausted, but no one wanted to leave (except Bee, who had to leave for the airport at 5 a.m.--bon voyage, Bee, and put up a post to let us know you arrived home safe and sound). It got pretty crazy, as you will see from the pictures!
This album is powered by BubbleShare - Add to my blog
Most of the webheads are leaving today. :-( But we are already talking about next year in New York. This is a potentially accessible convention for me, being only a 4-5-hour drive from Maryland, so I am hopeful that I will be able to be there!
As I write this it is 8:15, time to leave for my workshop (they are providing breakfast and lunch!!!). Hello to all the webheads out there--have a safe journey home!
Friday, March 23, 2007
Friday (Nina)
Everybody is starting to look kind of glassy-eyed as the Convention approaches its end tomorrow. I have survived by avoiding my program book. For those of you who have never attended a TESOL Convention, this book is a couple cm. thick. At any given time slot between 7:30 a.m. and 7:45 pm, there may be 40 different possibilities: academic sessions, energy breaks, demonstrations, papers, panel discussions, spotlight sessions, colloquia, exhibitor sessions, poster sessions, workshops, "intersections" and more. (Don't forget the EV fairs, classics, and mini-workshops!) They take place in the Convention Center, the Hyatt, or the Sheraton. If I look at it, I immediately identify 5-10 different things that look interesting. Then I feel frustrated. I solved this dilemma by not opening the book. Instead, I focused on the EV and attended many EV Fair short presentations, 2 mini-workshops, a CALL for beginners session, and several classics. In 2003, I was too intimidated to even go into the EV, so I was making up for lost time, you might say. The EV had its own little program book which did not include papers and presentations given on CALL topics outside the EV, so I missed those, but I feel satisfied that I have learned a lot just doing what I was doing.
I did attend a discussion this morning on cultural problems which can arise between Western teachers and Arab students, since we have many students from Saudi Arabia and Qatar in our program; and I attended the first plenary session, where Betty Azar, the "grammar queen" gave a very nice talk (which will be available by eventcast in a couple of months, as will all the plenaries and a number of other sessions as well).
This afternoon the workshop which brought me to Seattle--the CEA accreditation workshop--began with a 3-hour session in the Hyatt, and it will continue tomorrow from 9-3. This is a more serious topic and one which will occupy my time and energy for the next 18 months.
I've also seen other friends here--I am constantly running into people from my own affiliate, WATESOL, and some who have moved to other areas but used to work with me at MEI. There are purported to be more than 9,000 attendees here, but it's a village--just a very large one.
It's about time to go meet the webheads for our Chinese dinner.
I did attend a discussion this morning on cultural problems which can arise between Western teachers and Arab students, since we have many students from Saudi Arabia and Qatar in our program; and I attended the first plenary session, where Betty Azar, the "grammar queen" gave a very nice talk (which will be available by eventcast in a couple of months, as will all the plenaries and a number of other sessions as well).
This afternoon the workshop which brought me to Seattle--the CEA accreditation workshop--began with a 3-hour session in the Hyatt, and it will continue tomorrow from 9-3. This is a more serious topic and one which will occupy my time and energy for the next 18 months.
I've also seen other friends here--I am constantly running into people from my own affiliate, WATESOL, and some who have moved to other areas but used to work with me at MEI. There are purported to be more than 9,000 attendees here, but it's a village--just a very large one.
It's about time to go meet the webheads for our Chinese dinner.
A few random pictures
The Exhibit Hall, the lobby of the Washington State Convention and Trade Center, and 5th Avenue in the rain (taken from the 14th floor of the Red Lion Hotel)
Thursday: Ladies' night at Cutter's
Bee and Patricia, Jane and Erika,
Jane and Bee
Album to follow; Bubbleshare is not cooperating.
Thursday, March 22, 2007
Hello all!
What a fantastic dinner that was- and thank you so much for the pictures, Nina, and the flowers, Dennis! I am looking at one of the flowers now on my daughter's table as I write. I left the dinner on Wed. night to go find my lost credit card, but found it right where I'd dropped it...
I also wanted to invite everyone who is still around on Sat. to come to my presentation 10:30-11:15 CC313, Student weblogging for fluency, skills & integration or come read about it here...hope to see you then- it's a great conference, and I'm happy to meet everyone!!
-Tom Leverett
I also wanted to invite everyone who is still around on Sat. to come to my presentation 10:30-11:15 CC313, Student weblogging for fluency, skills & integration or come read about it here...hope to see you then- it's a great conference, and I'm happy to meet everyone!!
-Tom Leverett
Lunch with Moira
Hi Moira and other Webheads!
I am very happy to meet you in Seattle face to face and have lunch with you today. It was really amazing to see you.
Today I felt myself as one of the luckiest Webheads! Wish to see more webheads today and tomorrow.
So I will post photos later today when I get home. Using TESOL Internet Cafe
Ibrahim
I am very happy to meet you in Seattle face to face and have lunch with you today. It was really amazing to see you.
Today I felt myself as one of the luckiest Webheads! Wish to see more webheads today and tomorrow.
So I will post photos later today when I get home. Using TESOL Internet Cafe
Ibrahim
Are you interested in Central Asia?
Hi dear fellow Webheads!
You are invited by me and my friends from Central Asia
March 22,2007You are invited by me and my friends from Central Asia
Are you interested in Central Asia!
Dinner at 7:00
at:Moonlight Cafe
Vietnamese Food
1919 So. Jackson St. x 20nd
International District, Seattle
cost: $15 fixed menu and tea, soft drinks and beer available.
P.S. Sorry for this spam, my apologies
Important Message from Chris regarding Thu NIGHT
Hi Webheads in Seattle,
We will be meeting at Pike Brewing Company at 9 p.m. Please forward this to anyone interest Seattle 2007 Webheads or friends of Webheads.
Pike Brewing Company
1415 1st Avenue
Phone numbers: (206) 622-3373 or 622-6044
This microbrewery is at Pioneer Square (the oldest part of Seattle).
Hope to see you there!
Chris
We will be meeting at Pike Brewing Company at 9 p.m. Please forward this to anyone interest Seattle 2007 Webheads or friends of Webheads.
Pike Brewing Company
1415 1st Avenue
Phone numbers: (206) 622-3373 or 622-6044
This microbrewery is at Pioneer Square (the oldest part of Seattle).
Hope to see you there!
Chris
Big Real Hugs
Hi all,
I am here and discovering the US by getting lost at night, as it is my first visit to the US. So today I got up at 9:00 and came late.
Just Tere and Daf came to have big hug. So pictures will be later. I need to talk with Moira :)
I am here and discovering the US by getting lost at night, as it is my first visit to the US. So today I got up at 9:00 and came late.
Just Tere and Daf came to have big hug. So pictures will be later. I need to talk with Moira :)
~Ibrahim(John ;)
P.S. Dennis, on behalf of you I having real Big Hugs ;)
Ibrahimjon, where were you?
Ibrahim, we miissed you at our webheads dinner last night. I know you were planning to be there--what happened?
Some of us are going to dinner (no reservation this time, just an informal get-together) tonight (Thursday). If you (or anyone reading this) can come, just meet us in the downstairs lobby of the Convention Center (Pike St. entrance) at 7 p.m.
Everyone: Have a great day at the convention! It's already almost 8 am and I am late!
Some of us are going to dinner (no reservation this time, just an informal get-together) tonight (Thursday). If you (or anyone reading this) can come, just meet us in the downstairs lobby of the Convention Center (Pike St. entrance) at 7 p.m.
Everyone: Have a great day at the convention! It's already almost 8 am and I am late!
Wednesday evening at Sazerac
Dennis sent beautiful red tulips for everybody to the restaurant! Of course we would have preferred to have Dennis there with us, but the flowers were a wonderful way for Dennis to have a presence at our dinner at Sazerac. Leanne brought maple candies for everybody and beautiful webheads mini-quilts which she had created herself (did anyone else know that Leanne is a quilter???) for Daf and Teresa, to thank them for their support. The food was great and the company was fantastic. I met several webheads I had not so far interacted with online, including John Hibbs, Elizabeth Hanson-Smith, David Winet, and others (some of you will recognize their photos). Afterwards some of us continued the party at the Elephant & Castle, downstairs from the Red Lion. I went to bed exhausted at midnight (3 a.m. my time) but hardly slept at all because of the excitement of meeting so many good friends f2f.
This album is powered by BubbleShare - Add to my blog
This album is powered by BubbleShare - Add to my blog
Nina's Wednesday album
This album is powered by BubbleShare - Add to my blog
I spent most of Wednesday at the Electronic Village, volunteering as a "greeter", attending several EV Fair and Classics sessions (details to be added later) and just hanging out. I finally met all of the webheads, and had lunch with Carla, Erika, and two CTJ friends of theirs, Conception (sp?) and Katie.
I spent most of Wednesday at the Electronic Village, volunteering as a "greeter", attending several EV Fair and Classics sessions (details to be added later) and just hanging out. I finally met all of the webheads, and had lunch with Carla, Erika, and two CTJ friends of theirs, Conception (sp?) and Katie.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)