Saying goodbye

I woke up at 6.30 am and started packing and unpacking again to come to the final conclusion that it will be impossible to go home with two bags. I simply cannot fit it all in. So, I finally decided to take the carrier bag and try to pass it off as handluggage. We'll see.

This morning, we were expected at Fayerweather for a final, written in-depth evaluation of the programme. We took our time to write some comments - as far as I am concerned - very positive ones and to give some minor suggestions as to possible improvements.

Then, we had an hour and a half to go back to the dorm. The clouds had broken in the mean time and it rained like never before. At the dorm, we discovered that Victor had written an ITD-anthem, so we decided to practise and Nguyet, with a voice like a nightingale, set us on the right tune.

It was time to go to our farewell meal. The round tables were laid beautifully and we were seated with ITD staff. Jennifer Philips, from the State Department, Leslie Laurie, Frank Couvares and Rosetta Cohen were also present. We started with our song and our gifts for all the ITD people who made our stay so unforgettable. Then we had a lovely lunch and talked about the six weeks spent together.

Bruce then took the floor and produced a most moving and funny speech, in which he summed up our characteristics, one by one. We wept, and smiled, laughed and applauded. How well he knows his flock!

Julie continued with the ceremony and one by one we received our certificates, a group picture, a bookmark and a flash stick, which we will certainly treasure.

A very difficult moment followed when Julie from Australia, Kleo from Cyprus and Dai from Japan left. We all started weeping or had at least a heavy feeling in our chest. Saying goodbye is never easy ... it breaks your heart to let go of people you've come to know, to like, to appreciate. We are all making promises of keeping in touch. I do so hope we will...

In the afternoon, we went for a final shopping trip to the mall, a final drink at the Brewery, a final stroll along Amherst "downtown". Then we closed the door behind us for the very last time...

All good things come to an end, I know. If it hadn't been good, we wouldn't be so sorry to go. Therefore I think this sadness has a happy edge. We were the lucky ones. The ones who had the chance to be part of this whole experience. Let's keep that memory alive and kindle it with emails, skype, letters and photos.

My time on this blog is nearly up. Next time I write here it will be from home.

Our last Thursday in Amherst

This morning, we listened to more colleagues. Sandra showed us how she would teach the Cold War to her students, Svitlana spoke about women's leadership, Nguyet chose the Women's Liberation Movement (this does not exist in Vietnam), Julie made a case study on Redefining success for teachers & students in low socioeconomic areas.
Then came Olima with a lesson plan on Etiquette-free America, followed by Abby who presented the Human Rights in a slideshow named "Let Freedom Sing". Jose Luis explained how he would teach Emily Dickinson's poems based on nature. Then it was my turn with my own presentation about the same poet's work in an elementary and an advanced class, comparing the poems to impressionists paintings.
Our friend Alistair surprised us with a very useful introduction on the difference between "fun" and "enjoyment" in the classroom, followed by a presentation on the organisation and powers of government in the USA.
Alphonse would inform his university students about the Democracy in America and through Cooperative Learning make them reflect upon this and compare it with the democratic system in his own country. He was very passionate about this case and I thought it very courageous of him to undertake this mission.
Larissa studied (our own dear) Amherst, a small US community and prepared several lessons about this topic.
Beatrice also chose Emily Dickinson and her poetry and analysed "Wild Nights! Wild Nights!"
Stella assembled information about Sacco &Vanzetti and we listened to Joan Baez sing "Here's to you, Nicola and Bart".
Finally, Victor showed us a presentation about Eskimos whom his own people are related to and a lesson plan to teach his students how to use internet resources. Then, he showed us some information about his home country.
Rosetta Cohen attended the session as did Jennifer Philips from the State Department.

Then it was time for a little slideshow I had prepared as a souvenir for the group and a thank-you for the staff.

In the afternoon, we went to the mall, one of the few places where the temperature is bearable thanks to the airco. Snjezana, Paola and I went to the hairdresser and it made us feel better.
In the evening, we decided to plan a pizza party at the dorm for everyone who wanted to join. We bought some drinks and the boys collected the pizzas (huge and delicious). Kaori dressed up in a summer kimono and later, when Dai arrived, he also put on a traditional costume. We were really impressed.
Stella had the fabulous idea of bringing in the cd-player and the party could start. And did we dance .... till our feet were black and the kitchen floor was shining ! Abba and Michael Jackson were our absolute favourites and the highlight of the evening was certainly the moment Victor joined in and showed us the Jakutsk dance style.
It was after midnight when we went to bed - of course our hair was ruined - but we had so much fun!

Our last Wednesday in Amherst

At nine o'clock sharp, the presentation of our projects started.

As you know - if you have been reading this blog conscientiously - we have all been working hard on these assignments, finding resources, reading, planning, etc. The last two days, the computer room was extremely crowded. So, this morning, half of the group were expected to present their work.

Room 115 in Fayerweather (the auditorium) was waiting for us. Everyone was a bit nervous.
The two Siljes started the session with a very interesting presentation about immigration from Norway to the U.S.; Paola had chosen the Native Americans as her topic; Snjezana talked about charter schools; Nora showed us how she would inform her students about the 4th of July celebrations; Mori explained how he would teach his students (sometimes as many as 80 in one class) about M.L. King's "I had a dream" without the use of any glamourous multimedia aids; Noemi brought an interesting idea on a crosscurricular series of lessons on the constitutional system; Kaori's theme was environmentalism and Obama's policy concerning this matter; Naeema, Kleo and Seral had worked out some lessons around Pop Idol; Sengly and Afifa's lesson plan was about sports in American high schools and how this differs from their own countries; Dai taught us enthusiastically about Billy Joel and Leningrad and moved many of us with the final words: "We didn't know what friends we had, until we came to .... Amherst".

The topics were as varied as the people. Time went by very quickly. We listened to each other with the greatest interest. Especially Jose Luis and Alphonse asked some pertinent questions.
It is interesting to see why people choose certain topics and how they make them worthwhile for their students.

In the afternoon, I packed and unpacked my suitcases, trying to fit everything in. If I'm careful - and wise - and don't buy anything at the mall tomorrow, I think it should be o.k.

We ended the day with a nice meal at Judie's, with Bruce, Kleo, Silje, Abby, Julie, Dai, Alistair, Noemi and Sandra.

It is past midnight now and the bedroom still feels like a sauna - even though it rained part of the afternoon. The temperature doesn't drop and there is no air. It is even spooky to watch the trees and not to see one leaf tremble. The heat rises from the tarmac roads and sits inside the house, waiting to fall on us. Long live the Belgian summer with a cool breeze, a moderate climate and a mild shower from time to time!

Our last Tuesday in Amherst

I didn't sleep at all last night. The air was hot and the room wasstuffy. I tossed and turned and woke up every so often.

After a cold shower, I went for breakfast and then for a "test run" of the computer equipment in the classroom where we'll hold our presentations.

By 10:30 it was boiling hot again and very humid. The only cool place in the building is the computer room with an airco. That's where I spent most of the day, as did most of the others.

In the evening, we went to an Indian restaurant, where the food was good, but the service not really. Back at the dorm, I stayed up and chatted first with Victor and then with Olima and José Luis. I like these late night discussions. It's cosy in the kitchen, the house is quiet and it's a great - and maybe our last - opportunity of getting to know a little more about each other & our countries.

When I entered my room, I wished I could thank Noemi who had given me the good advice to close the windows and blinds during the day and only to open them at night, with the fan in front. It really makes a huge difference and I hope I'll catch some sleep.

Our last Monday in Amherst

Back to the routine today: breakfast at 7.30 and class at 8.30.

Bruce had made a list of the important "isms" covered during our programme: constitutional federalism, localism, individualism, civil society, regionalism, New Deal liberalism, anti-communism, environmentalism, feminism, civil rights, political fundamentalism, Reaganism, pluralism, racism, diversity, consumerism, patriotism, and tourism.

In about two hours, we commented on these topics and explained how we experienced them during our stay in the U.S.A. Many of these were rather vague before I came on this programme, and I would have had trouble giving offhand examples as to what they might mean or how we find all of these reflected in daily life. I realise that the courses we had and the field trips we made really added up to a deeper knowledge and broader understanding of American society - so thank you Fulbright and ITD!

As usual, we evaluated week 5 and received the schedule for week 6.

In the afternoon, I finished my presentation, which I have scheduled for Thursday morning. I am pleased that's settled. Now, I can work on the suitcase problem: how to redistribute all the stuff so that my luggage does not exceed the weight limit. It promises to be a hard nut to crack.

I bought some more presents to take home and in the evening Sandra, Stella and I found a snackbar with outdoor tables where I had a nice quiche and they had a drink until it started raining cats and dogs and we hurried inside. We then moved on to Amherst Café, a nice and cosy pub for another drink - a cup of tea for me - and a long chat about life, love, human relationships, and other fascinating issues.

Back at the dorm, we met José Luis and Alistair around the kitchen table with a few bottles in the middle. José Luis suggested we should try a typical Mexican drink: Tequila Sunrise, which we accepted - of course.

... and we continued our chat about work, school, airports, luggage, and other fascinating issues!

This last week honestly gives me a double feeling: sad that the end is nearing and happy to go home. I feel like a horse that smells its stable - I would like time to go swiftly now - and yet I can feel the draw on the reins, because I know there will be the final goodbyes... just now that you get to know people and feel comfortable around each other. We'll have to make the best of every day of the week, I guess, and celebrate whenever we can, whether it's with a beer in a bar, a glass of milk in the kitchen, or simply breakfast at Valentine's.

Tanglewood

Up at 7 a.m. and breakfast till 8.30. An hour later I had a little Skype-session with my husband. I am not convinced this Skype hype is my thing. Often my husband's face breaks up into little squares and mine gets stuck on a crooked smile. There are nicer things to talk to. I find it distracting and half of the conversation is about how to fix this or that problem. No such trouble with a normal, old-fashioned phone! Of course, I must admit that it's nice to "see" your partner, although I still remembered his face after 5 weeks... What is really cool, is that he could see my (messy) room, with suitcases half undone, and the view from the window, onto the parking lot!
We kept it rather short and said our goodbyes till next week, when we'll meet for real.

We were lucky to have two bikes available this weekend. So, Snjezana and I cycled to the supermarket. It was an easy and very quick trip all the way down. We filled up my backpack with groceries, and steered back to the dorm ... uphill this time, and a lot more slowly.
It was really nice though and we wished we could have the bikes for the rest of the week.

I prepared myself a tasty picnic with lettuce, tuna salad, cherry tomatoes, sushi and a raspberry doughnut for dessert. At half past twelve, Rachel picked us up to bring us to Tanglewood, at Lenox, MA. It was about 1 1/2 hour away. The Tanglewood Festival was first created by a group of music-loving summer residents of the Berkshires, in August 1934. Today, it annually draws more than 300.000 visitors. The setting of this classical music festival is the gorgeous setting of the Tappan family estate with open air concert hall, "The Serge Koussevitzky Music Shed" and over 210 acres of lawns and meadows.

We were meant to sit on the lawn, and enjoy our picnic while listening to the concert. But there was the rain ... again ... to spoil the plans. Luckily, we had seats under the Shed. Today's concert featured The Boston Symphony Orchestra, conducted by David Robertson, playing Harris, Thomson, Barber and Bernstein, as well as Thomas Hampson, American baritone, who is among the world's most celebrated sought-after singers performing on the stage today.
I am sorry to say that all this talent could not seduce me as much as the intimate music we listened to at the Blue Note. This is, of course, a matter of personal taste.

When the music stopped, the sun returned and we could admire the park in all its beauty.

Back at the dorm by 7, I went up to the computer room, as did most of us, to work on my project. I'd like to finish it completely by tomorrow afternoon.

We've just had another thunderstorm, short and heavy, but the heat of the day seems to stay inside the building. The bedrooms are saunas and the fan doesn't help. All it does is make the dust whirl around before it settles back into the corners and between the floorboards... It will be hard to fall asleep.

Quiet Amherst

After two weeks of living out of my suitcase, I was happy to find my room and get settled. Breakfast at Valentine's was just fine: scrambled eggs and bacon and a waffle with syrop. Hello calories!
On my way back to Mayo-Smith, I went to the farmers market. I regretted not taking my camera, because it was such a colourful sight. Flowers, vegetables and fruit were displayed in little stalls and everything looked tasty and appetizing. I bought some olive bread and goat's cheese and dark tomatoes, and some blueberries for my evening meal (delicious).
It was mostly a lazy day. I did the laundry and completed the blog. I posted some photos on photobucket.
After lunch I suddenly felt really tired and went to bed for a couple of hours. It was a very hot day and maybe the heat and the fatigue of the past trip added up.
Tonight, I am my usual self again. I sat in the lounge with some others and we watched part of "Dances with Wolves". On American television, movies are interrupted all the time with commercials. It is really unpleasant. So, we had to find a way to enjoy it and we started analysing the movie based on what we had learned about the Native Americans when we were in the West. We discovered bits and pieces of different traditions, such as, for example, the wedding dress with the elk teeth as we saw it in the Crow reservation. We commented on the different hairstyles of women and men, etc.

Mayo-Smith is a big dorm with a strange structure: it's like a maze. You can get lost in it. It has been beautifully renovated and the rooms and facilities are the same as in our previous dorm.

It will be our "home away from home" to live with our "international family" for one more week!

New York - Brooklyn Bridge & the UN

Our last day in New York started with a walking tour to Brooklyn Bridge and around Wall Street and the financial area. We admired the view on top and under the bridge, I was surprised to find Trinity Church hidden amidst a jungle of skyscrapers. Ground Zero is still under full construction. The rubble of the Twin Towers is cleaned, some law suits are still running, but the final project has been chosen and in a few years, the place will hold a worthy memorial.

On Wall street we posed with "the Bull", as did many other tourists and walked back towards the riverside, where the busdriver picked us up.

I had reserved my afternoon for a first class shopping spree and indulged in the pleasure of queuing up for fitting rooms and spending too much money... I had a delicious gazpacho in one park and a chocolate cookie in another and talked to a local girl I shared the table with.

The sun was back, and I felt happy again.

At four, we met at the United Nations for a guided tour around the building and we tiptoed through the gallery as the General Assembly was in session. Strange to think that many important decisions are made in these rooms that influence the lives of people all over the world. Interesting too, to reflect on the role of the UN in the recent past and the future challenges and how for example the US will or won't comply with the decisions.

The bus picked us up at the gate and drove us through the dense Friday evening traffic out of New York.

So, I won't wake up in the City That Never Sleeps, but in peaceful Amherst instead, where the Mayo Smith Dormitory has beds waiting for us.

New York - Blue Note & Café Wha

Tonight we had tickets for the Blue Note - the World's Finest Jazz Club, located in Greenwich Village.

In a dark and cosy interior, Charlie Haden (bass) and Kenny Barron (piano) played their heavenly music and we listened mesmerised, for an hour and a half. There are no words to describe the way they touched the chords of their instruments and of the audience's hearts.

To get you an idea of their talent, you could go to the following links: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mJGY-LV1fZ8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M6AVc5CPOuk

After this wonderful experience, half of the group followed Julie (who clearly knows the night scene) to the Café Wha - another club with a live band, where we had some cocktails and danced to songs of the 80's. Find out more on www.cafewha.com and make sure you stop here when you're in the neighbourhood!

It was fantastic to experience NY nightlife and the sounds of the city echoed in my dreams as I closed my eyes on another perfect day.

New York - Harlem & the Met

On our programme today we had a guided tour to and through Harlem.

Our guide pointed out all the different landmarks along the way: Strawberry Fields at Central Park, Columbia University, the Cotton Club, ... As we entered Harlem he explained how the place received its name from the first Dutch settlers, who called it after Haarlem in Holland, and how the neighbourhood changed over the years, from a agricultural area for Dutch farmers to the place where the Latinos lived and then the Afro-Americans who were pushed further north by the other inhabitants of New York. The bad reputation of Harlem dates essentially back to racial riots in the 60's, and at this moment, the borough has become popular and apartments and houses fetch very high prices.

We arrived at the narrow street lined by wooden houses dating back to the 1880's, called Sulvan Terrace, and the Morris Jumel Mansion, built on a hill and with an intriguing story about the lady of the house whose two husbands died in mysterious circumstances...

Our next stop was the Apollo theatre. Mr Mitchell welcomed us and told us the history of this temple of music where many superstars performed and were discovered during the Amateur Nights: Ella Fitzgerald, Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder, ...

As a finishing touch, the audience was invited to perform on stage. Dai opened the show with an excellent interpretation of Billy Joel's I've got NY on My Mind and the two Siljes sang the Norwegian national anthem. We applauded as hard as we could.

By now, it was time for some "soul food" and that's exactly what we got at Sylvia's. An excellent meal of chicken, fish and ribs with rice, greens and potato salad followed by banana pudding was served in a cosy restaurant. Pictures of famous people adorned the walls.

Happy (and full) we got back on the bus and could choose where to be dropped off. I decided to try my luck at the Metropolitan museum, where I wanted to see the Impressionists (again). I try to collect them in my head, as I don't have the money to do otherwise... I had forgotten how huge this museum is and how easily you can get lost and run out of time. The paintings were magnificent as ever. Unfortunately, the American Wing was closed and I couldn't see any Hoppers or Homers.

When I left the Met, it started drizzling. I strolled through Central Park and walked back to the hotel along 5th avenue. The rain was getting heavier, by the time I reached the hotel, it was pouring and I was drenched.

Rain, in a city like NY, means the sky is coming down on you. It feels as if you're bunkered in between grey concrete walls of buildings left and right, black tarmac street under your feet and threatening clouds overhead. Umbrellas bar your sight and people hurry and scurry at a faster pace.

This unfortunate weather condition has helped me come to this conclusion : I don't like New York in the rain...

but it can lead to original pictures like the one atop this text.

New York - Times Square

We had another waw-effect when we saw our hotel rooms and especially when we realised how well the Metro Hotel is situated: between 5th and 6th Avenue on 35th street, with a terrace on the top floor and a view of the Empire State Building.

This time, Edgardo knew a good address and we followed him to the oldest Indian restaurant in town. The food was great. We walked towards Time Square, where multi-coloured lights flash on and off and ads for movies or m&ms appear on giant screens. The hustle and bustle of the city can be felt here above all places.

We ended our first beautiful day in New York on top of the Empire State Building - after a 2-hour queue and 6 flights of stairs : a zillion lights as far as our eyes could stretch was our reward.

New York - Ellis Island & Statue of Liberty

We left early in the morning and drove about four hours north.

Many of our ancestors once came to New York, city of hope, land of promise. In the heydays of immigration, they all had to walk through the doors of Ellis Island.

That is exactly how we started our discovery of the Big Apple. An audio guide led us through the museum of Ellis Island, showing us how people arrived on the big ships, how they registered, how doctors examined and diagnosed them (e.g. an X meant mental problem, an E meant your eyesight was poor, etc.), how some of them were deported, especially if it was suspected they wouldn't be able to support themselves.

There were the happy stories of families reunited, of young brides-to-be meeting their grooms-to-be. But, on the other hand, there were heartbreaking stories too. Like the one of the Chinese woman whose husband and seven sons came to the U.S. and who could never join them because of an exclusion law; or the one of the large family whose grandmother was sent back to her homeland, all alone, because she was considered too old and might become dependent on the U.S.

People died on Ellis Island and babies were born.

Our time here was too short, as every object had a special tale to tell, a fascinating story, the distastrous end of a long and tiring journey across the ocean or the beginning of a future where every dream could come true ...

The ferry brought us to the Statue of Liberty. On this bright and sunny day, the New York skyline was picture-perfect. The giant green lady with the spiky crown and golden torch raised her arm high in the air as we approached. Although I'd seen her before, from further away and we all know exactly what she looks like from postcards and movies, seeing her for real, so closeby is something else.

We walked around the park and I sat in her shadow to eat a salty pretzel and drink some Liberty water exclusively bottled for the Statue of Liberty Crown Café... I don't know if it has any miraculous qualities, but - to me at least - simply being here, on this Fulbright project, looking at the gulls and the skyscrapers of New York City, is a little miracle ...

Washington D.C. - Senate & Brookings institute

Today we got up early and walked from the hotel to the White House, then up the Old Post Office Tower, past the Naval Memorial to the Dirkson Senate Building.

We arrived before the rest of the group and were able to listen in on a hearing about the nomination of Ambassadors for African Countries.

Our appointment was with Dillon Guthrie, Foreign Policy Aid, working for the office of Senator Kerry. Unfortunately, he turned up late, no room was available, we had to wait a long time in the corridors of the building. Finally, we were allowed into one of the hearing rooms, and could ask him some questions. He mainly explained the working of the hearings in a very general way. Although it was exciting to be in this important building, where many decisions are made that have an influence on the whole of the U.S. if not on the whole world, I was disappointed by the session itself because I had hoped to get more information on the U.S. foreign policy.

From here we walked to the Library of Congress, a fabulous building. We could walk around freely and visited several of the rooms which held special exhibitions, such as Lincoln's personal library. We had a guided visit of the cricular reading room, a splendid place for the eye and certainly even more for the mind.

After a quick lunch at Union Station, we went to the Brookings Institute where Mr Steven Pizer, former U.S. ambassador of the Ukraine under the Bush administration spoke to us about the present U.S.- Russia relationship and how it is evolving under the new administration. A Q&A allowed for some debate and as several of our group come from the ex-USSR countries, many questions came up.

Mr Pizer explained the different approach of President Bush and President Obama and expressed his hope that the relationship would change for the better, with Russia as a supporting partner on issues such as North Korea, Iran and Afghanistan.

Let me summarize what the Brookings Institute stands for: it is a centrist think tank. Their mission is to conduct high-quality, independent research and as such to advance innovative, practical recommendations to advance three broad goals: to strengthen the American Democracy; the advance the economic and social welfare, security and opportunity of all Americans and, to secure a more open, safe, prosperous and cooperative international system.

They organise workgroups on important current issues and write reports for the government. They are however independent and do not belong to any particular party so that their advice is impartial.

Among their top priorities, they count Iran, Health Care, Energy, Education, Immigration.

It was a busy last day in Washington and we had to finish it in beauty. So, Bruce led us to an excellent Chinese restaurant and then I accompanied Sandra, Bruce, Alistair and Dai to a pub where we had a Belgian Beer to celebrate the Belgian National holiday (21st of July). I was really surprised to find the local kriek of Beersel on their list! At 18,5 $ for a small bottle, I decided to wait till I'm home to drink one, however ...

Washington D.C. - Arlington

Because of the previous official meeting, we were asked to dress up. So, I wore my high-heeled sandals. Unfortunately, the walk in the morning was longer than expected and the first signs of blisters appeared. Nothing, however, could stop me from going to Arlington Cemetery. Paola, Snjezana and I took the underground there. We walked to the Kennedy Memorial, which is an ever-burning flame, continued to Arlington House on the hill and watched the changing of the guards at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, at that moment it started to rain, as if the sky was weeping for the soul that was being honoured.

We left the cemetery at closing time and walked across the bridge to Georgetown, along the river, past the Watergate building.

We had dinner on sushi at a small Japanese restaurant and walked all the way back to the hotel.

I don't know how many miles I walked today, but the blisters on my feet are proof enough to realise it was a little too much...

Washington D.C. - Department of State

I quickly walked all the way up Massachussets Avenue, along Embassy Row to the Belgian Embassy where I met some officials to introduce myself and the project.
On my way there, I came across some more demonstrators of Iran, whom we had already met before in the streets of Georgetown, claiming Democracy for their country.

Then, I took the bus to the Air and Space Museum. It took me over an hour and gave me the opportunity to do some "people watching", one of my favourite activities.
On Pensylvania Avenue the bus was caught in a traffic jam. When I looked out of the window, I realised what was the cause. We were exactly behind the White House and I saw the official cars pull out of the driveway, followed by the presidential car, decorated with the flags. Tourists and paparazzi were busy taking pictures ...
After a few minutes, everything went back to normal.

Our next appointment was at the United States Department of State. We were welcomed by Britta Bjornlund, the Study of U.S. Branch Chief, followed by Mallory Kirsh, the Alumni Coordinator. She explained how to register on the Fulbright Alumni Website and to get access to innumerable online resources. Rebecca Smoak and her colleague from the Office of English Language told us what books, programmes and resources the U.S. embassy in our country can provide us with for our English lessons.
Jennifer Phillips, the Programme Officer, asked us to give her feedback on our programme. As could be expected, the response was very positive. Some very nice words were said, and some of them will linger in my mind for a long time.
It was time to give us our certificates. Our names were called and we received the official document stating that we had participated in the Study of the United States Institute for Secondary School Educators.
It was a moving moment. We had some pictures taken next to the American flag and the photos of Barack Obama and Hilary Clinton.

Washington D.C. - Refugees International

On Monday morning we had a meeting with the Vice-Chairman of Refugees International.

Started in 1979, Refugees International has expanded to become an effective advocacy organisation that provokes action from leaders to resolve refugee crises worldwide.

The major issues focused on now are:
- the threat to the right to asylum
- internal displacement (there is no formal convention to protect these people: e.g. Sudan)
- statelessness (about 12 million people worldwide have no citizenship)
- displacement due to climate change

RI is a NGO with a staff of 30. They do not accept any government or UN funding and this allows us to report the truth as they discover it. They travel throughout the world to interview refugees, relief organisations, etc. and draw up reports and recommendations for governments to adapt their policies.

Their major goals are:
- supply desperately needed resources to neglected crises
- help people return home and rebuild their lives when wars end
- improve peacekeeping in crisis areas
- provide internally displaced people with the same levels of protection and assistance as refugees who have crossed borders
- reduce the number of stateless people.

I'd like to invite you to visit their website for more information: www.refugeesinternational.org

Washington D.C. - Wolf Trap

In the evening, we needed some light entertainment.

Bruce, Olima, Snjezana, Sandra and I took the underground and a shuttle bus to Wolf Trap. This open air theatre in a National Park on the outskirst of Washington D.C. organises summer perfomances of all kinds. We watched the musical 42nd Street, sitting on the lawn, drinking a beer, eating a hamburger. We hadn't brought any blanket, but our neighbours had a spare one and that made it all the more comfortable.

The spectacle consisted of a simple story of a simple girl who arrives on Broadway and hopes to become a star. At first she isn't selected, then someone falls ill and she can be in the chorus.
When the leading actress breaks her ankle, our heroin can take her place and immediately steals everyone's heart and saves the show. The musical date backs to the 30's and used to be a movie. It brings famous songs such as "Broadway Lullaby", "In the money" and "On 42nd Street".
The main actress was Loretta Swit, who became an American idol as Major Margareth Houlihan of television's most honoured series M.A.S.H.

We had a very enjoyable night out under the stars and were back at the hotel by midnight!

Washington D.C. - Tour of the Monuments

At four o'clock the bus took us to the main monuments, which are all situated near or around the Tidal Basin.
the Jefferson Memorial: a huge black statue in a white temple of a man overlooking the capital,
the Lincoln Memorial: another white temple with a statue of a seated president overlooking the Mall,
the Roosevelt Memorial: a beautiful park with several sculptures and meaningful texts engraved in the walls, messages full of hope for a world at peace.
But then come:
the Korean War Memorial: statues of soldiers coming out of the shrubs, faces of the deceased etched on the walls
the Vietnam War Memorial: to me the most moving of all, due to its simplicity. A black wall of polished granite slabs inscribed with the names of 58000 victims in the chronological order of their deaths. A path guides my steps along the wall that seems to grow, as the path goes down and then up again. A feeling of being in the trenches, beneath the level of the grass, buried with these men and women comes over me. Family members and friends looking for a name, leaving a token, a message.
In the streets of America, many veterans of these wars are now homeless, beggars, jobless people. The scars of these wars are still apparent. They leave a bitter taste. So many dreams came true in this country and yet so many nightmares seem to haunt it too.

Washington D.C.

On Sunday morning, we had a nice breakfast round the corner at "Le Pain Quotidien" with an excellent "pain au chocolat".

There was a very attractive market with fruit and vegetables near Dupont Circle but when we wanted to buy some peaches, the stall owner told us they were not allowed to buy anything before the bell of 9 o'clock. To us, Europeans, that sounded pretty unbelievable. As the coach was waiting for us, we left the peaches in their crates.

We drove to the city centre, along the Mall and were dropped of at the Smitsonean Castle. The group split up in smaller numbers and people went their way, depending on their individual interests. I followed Bruce and some others to the Botanic Garden and then to the National Gallery, where he showed us the American landscapists and impressionist painters. After a quick lunch in the cafeteria of the museum I decided to go for the highlights of the West wing: a da Vinci, Rafael, Vermeer, Rembrandt, Turner, and of course the large collection of French impressionists, as well as the statue gallery with a.o. Rodin and Degas.
I had to tear myself away from so much beauty and wish I could stay longer.
I hurried on to the Museum of American History, where I went to the second floor and visited a house brought all the way from Ipswich, MA, and depicting history throught the life stories of the families who had lived in it. An amazing way of portraying the past and making it recognisable for young and old. I also had a look at the galleries about the different communities in America, and was struck by the Jewish people, who mainly used to work as peddlers when they first arrived here, and often managed to work their way up the social ladder to become important shopkeepers or bankers.
Then I went to the third floor where I visited the gallery about the life of Abraham Lincoln and the more general part about the different presidents of the U.S.A.
Finally, I strolled through the Americans at War gallery.
The museum has so much to offer, everything is interactive, you could easily spend a week here.

Isn't it incredible, though, that in the middle of this crowded museum, on a Sunday afternoon in Washington D.C., I hear someone sneeze and make a comment in Flemish about the airco that's always too high. I recognise the voice, turn around, and meet my former colleague Caroline Pieters. We never meet each other in Belgium, and here our paths cross. Coincidence?

Billings - Washington

Well, I need to catch up with the writing. This usually means that times are verrryyy busy.

On Saturday we had a long day, travelling from Billings to Chicago and from Chicago to Washington.

In Washington, Edgardo was waiting for us with the bus and we were brought to the Hilton hotel on Massachussets Avenue, near Dupont Circle and within walking distance from Georgetown, the trendy neighbourhood of Washington D.C.

After settling in, the bus took us to the centre of Georgetown, where we had a lovely Vietnamese meal and a stroll along the Potomac, where youngsters on yachts were suffering from Saturday Night Fever symptoms.

Billings

Our last day in Billings and in the West.

In the morning we had a debriefing and evaluation of the past week and an overview of the coming week, followed by a brainstorming session on how to use this western experience in the classroom.

We thanked Dave for his excellent lectures and guidance on this tour as he was flying home the following morning.

In the afternoon, I joined the group that went to the Pictograph Cave State Park. This area and its caves or rock overhangs,once wer the living quarters of prehistoric hunters and gatherers. Here and there some images left by them on the rocks could be seen, as well as the strange formations of concretions. The site itself speaks to the imagination. Nearby is a buffalo jump, where the Native Americans raced the buffalo off the cliff, while the women and children of the tribe would stand below to recover the meat and the fur.

The afternoon sun weighed us down. We were happy to drink some lemonade at the visitors center that had just opened.

Back at Billings, we were free to explore "downtown". I walked to the Indiand Jewellery shop and found some gifts for my daughters. Then, I wanted to go to the museum, but by the time I got there, it was closed. On the next corner of the street, I found an Antiques gallery and strolled around the booths for a couple of hours, sniffing up the atmosphere of yesteryear, inspecting the rocking chairs, the wooden ducks, the cowboy hats and belts, the Indian moccasins, the framed black-and-white picture of the singing cowgirl of the 40's... I browsed through the book stall and found a recipe book of 1938 in pretty good shape. It will come to Belgium with me and I am looking forward to trying the Chocolate Angel Cake, the Honey Fudge, the Gingersnaps, but I'm not sure about the Fried Squirrel or the Creamed Brains...

To finish the day Paola and I had a nice Thai meal with Sengly and Nguyet.

Once in the hotel, we had to start packing because the bus would drive us to the airport at 6 in the morning.

Honky-tonkin'

Dave had a surprise in store for us. In the evening, those who felt like it, could go honky-tonkin'.

Ten of us got suitably dressed for the occasion and at 8:30 we gathered in the lobby where Dave taught us the basic dance steps: 1-2, 3-4, 5 and 6. It didn't seem to complicated and we drove to Montana Chad's, a bar alongside a main road.

In the bar, a live band was playing honky-tonk music. Some cowboys - hats included - were sitting around and a few couples were dancing. In a backroom used as a "casino", people were playing cards.

We found a high table with the right number of chairs, orders some beers and a combo platter of appetizers and got in the mood.

Dave and Bruce were wonderful dance partners to all the ladies and of course we must congratulate Dai on his excellent dancing skills. Some locals were brave enough to approach our table and invite us to the dance floor. After a few shy steps, we really got the hang of it and danced the night away.

The band was so friendly. They came over to talk to us and after the break they invited us onto the stage to sing "Johnny be good"!

When the other couples left, they came over to say goodbye to us, welcoming us to Montana and thanking us for our visit. It was a most wonderful and unexpected evening and a nice way to end the day.

The Crow

Our bus took us further to the home of the Real Bird family. This family of Crow Indians live on the reservation. They train, buy and sell horses for rodeos. Henry Real Bird is a former rodeo cowboy and a cowboy poet. Dave has known him for many years.

Henry welcomed us and brought us down to the river. He invited us to feel the water, take a rock, sit in the shade of a tree. Then he picked up a stick and drew a map of his country in the sand. He told the story of his people, how they were driven off their homeland, how they were gathered in reservations, how the white men deceived them, how they were starving to death, how the soldiers hunted them, how the trappers killed their bison, ... He also gave us the Indian version of the battle of Little Bighorn which was handed down to him by a friend of his grandfather. General Custer came with his men through the land, near the river the Indians injured him and staked him to the ground. They slit his chest open, took his heart out and pierced it. The Indians had been praying to their god to give them Custer's life. It was made clear in a vision that this would happen.

We listened in silence. Moved by the story, shaken by the way it was told. Confused, perhaps, I believe.

Then Henry took us to another side of the field, along the river. Here he showed some beautiful artifacts made by the women in his tribe: dresses, belts, mocassins, ... all decorated with tiny glass beads. One small piece can take a month to make. It is very colourful work, and very expensive too.

We had a lovely meal, sitting on the ground. Some Indian tacos with beans and salad and melon for dessert.

The other members of the Real Bird family came over to talk to us. The oldest brother who told us about the change he had lived through. From the time he was a kid and could take a horse and ride as far as he wanted. How education seemed to be in contradiction with freedom. How difficult it is for the younger generations to get a degree. How high the unemployment is. How important alcoholism and drug addiction are. How hard is has become to lead a decent life in keeping with the Crow traditions and fit to modern times.

Henry's sister talked to us about her experience as a school teacher. She explained how she was confronted to racism on a daily basis. She also told us that it is impossible to take the Indian culture into a classroom to teach about it. The very fact that this is a concrete building, that she cannot feel the earth under her feet, nor feel the wind through her hair, makes it impossible to be Indian.
She taught us a few words of the Crow language, which is only one of the hundreds of Indian languages spoken by the different tribes. Unfortunately, this language is dying. Only a handful of people still speak it. The language is difficult to write, the words are very long. Something should be done to preserve it. But then, she said defeatedly, who would do that?

Henry's younger brother was a passionate advocate for a better government and an economic system within the reservations. He explained that with poor education, they were always cheated. Very often, the Indians do not fully understand what is being 'sold' to them. Although the reservation is very rich in coal and oil, the Indians do not benefit from this. All the money leaves the reservation. Even if Indians earn money, they spend it outside, so the economy is dying. He used to live in the city, where he made more money, but he came back to the plains, because his heart is here, and so is his freedom.

Finally, Henry talked to us about the spirituality of the Indians. He told us that every Indian has three mothers: mother earth, his blood mother, his teepee, and these he must always respect.
He also explained how visions and dreams are important and how men will go on vision quests, go to the sweat hut, fast in the mountains, smoke the pipe, pray to god, speak to the bison of the Great Dipper.
He said that the river plays an important part in his life. How he gives his worries to the water and let them be carried away. And he got carried away talking to us ...
Suddenly some wild horses appeared near the rim of the hill. They came to drink at the river.
It was a beautiful way to end this open-air session, which was in full contrast with the formal lectures we had had so far, and therefore depicted so well how different the culture of the Native Americans is from that of the Americans of today.

With my heart and head filled with stories never to forget, I dreamt with open eyes that the plains belonged to the Indians, who are the heirs of this country, and I wept deep inside for I believe that little by little they are dying, that this clash of cultures is fatal to them ...

and the bus brought us back to Billings.

Little Bighorn National Battlefield

We'd all heard of the legendary General Custer who lost his life in a battle with the Indians.

Today, we found out a lot more about this part of American History and how it is shaped according to which side the storyteller is on.

As usual, Dave gave us the necessary background information - this time about the Indian Wars.

We drove through the plains, now the reservation of the Crow Indians and arrived at the battlefield. After a visit of the museum that depicted the history along a timeline, we walked up the hill of General Custer's Last Stand. Along the slope, white headstones indicate where soldiers fell. On the top, a large monument with all the names of the Army victims, was erected and General Custer himself was buried at West Point. According to archaeological research of the site, it seems that a lot of bullets were fired from the slope but not on top of the hill. This may suggest that the men had given up struggling or were really taken by surprise.

On a painting in the museum at Cody, I saw General Custer in Buffalo Bill outfit standing straight in the middle of dying soldiers, being attacked from all sides by savage Indians. He is depicted as a great hero. Yet, one might question his tactics. He was in charge of 600 men, split them up in 3 groups and took one group to round up the Indians at Little Bighorn. What he hadn't expected or completely underestimated was the huge number of Lakota, Sheyenne, the Blackfoot and others who had gathered and fought united against him. Custer was killed and all his men with him.

Now, you can feel sorry for this great military character, but you should at least also consider the other side of the story.

The Battle of the Little Bighorn was but the latest encounter of a centuries-long conflict between the Europeans and the Native Americans. In this particular case, the Indians had been sent to reservations, where the soil was too arid to grow anything, where all the animals had been killed by trappers. The Indian people were starving. Some of them decided to "break out" of the reservations. This was considered as a severe crime and the army was sent after them to capture and kill them. Custer was on one of these expeditions when he got surrounded at Little Bighorn.

On the other side of the hill, a monument was erected to commemorate the dead on the Indian side. This only happened in 2002, more than a hundred years after the battle.
It is a circular wall with several openings, meant to invite the spirits in of the soldiers who fell on the other side. A beautiful cast iron monument of Indians on Horses stand on top. Behind it the miles and miles of plains.

Cody

In Cody we went on an hour-long trolley tour through the town. A cowgirl and the spitting image of Buffalo Bill himself were our guide and driver. With big black and white photographs, we were shown the town of today compared to what is was like at the end of the 19th century.

They showed us the Irma hotel, the oldest store, the bank where a man was shot, the church that was moved, a tiny cabin, ... then we followed the Shoshone river to the dam and reservoir. We could hold a stone from Buffalo Bill's home, a piece of red granite rock, a copy of a gun, ... We listened to the controversial stories about where Buffalo Bill was buried...

For an hour we were part of the man's big Wild West Show.

At the Buffalo Bill Historical Center we could visit 5 different museums. The Buffalo Bill museum commemorating his life and work, the museum of the plains Indians, the gallery of Western Art, the Cody Firearms museum and the Museum of National History.

Unfortunately, time was too short to visit them all or to go for a stroll in the historical center of Cody.

We continued our route towards Billings. In the coach, Dave gave us a lecture on the Native Americans.

We are now staying at the Crown Plaza in very luxurious rooms. Billings itself is not a very exciting place, but we found a restaurant that served really nice food and good wine. What more can you want to end the day?

Buffalo Bill

At 8 a.m. we left Mammoth Hot Springs behind us. I felt sad, I wish I could have spent longer. The magic spell seemed broken.
We drove through the spectacular landscape of the park towards the East Entrance. Snowcapped mountains and a roaring river deep below unfolded bend after bend after bend.
I strained my eyes and willed my memory to store it forever somewhere safely in my mind, so that for many years to come, when I feel homesick for Yellowstone, I can conjure up the images for a private inward movie.

Dave referred back to the handouts he had given us and gave a lecture on cowboys, their reality, their myth, their history.
Most cultures have an icon. In the West it is the epic figure of the cowboy. He stands for American values such as individualism, independence, harmony with nature, informality and spontaneity; but also for a lack of education and intellectualism.
Dave explained how frontier men became cattle drivers and how ranches developed and changed the ways of the West; how corporations bought land and subdivided it into smaller pieces and "ranchettes" started appearing.

All this background information was obviously not without purpose, as we were travelling to the town of the one and only William B. Cody. Buffalo Bill built this town for himself and with the intention to open the doors to the West for the rest of the world. He had worked on the Pony express, as an army scout, as a cowboy, fought the Indians and made friends with them. Then, he had the extravagant and brilliant idea to share it with people from the east. He set up a show similar to none with hundreds of people, cowboys, Indians, Kosaks, horses, carriages, etc. He staged the Wild West in an arena in New York. It was an immediate hit. The show ran week after week. So, he took the whole organisation across the Atlantic and performed in Europe. Even Queen Victoria, who had retreated from public life after the death of her beloved Albert, was enthralled by what she saw. Royalty from Sweden and Belgium attended the show. It was a true success story that opened up new possibilities and kindled people's interest in the West. William B. Cody became a superstar, the first man to be universally known.

Our destination was the little town of Cody, Wyoming.

Yellowstone - the animals

Here are some photos I was able to shoot of the animals.

Yellowstone Park - the best

We were back at the hotel at 6 p.m. The sun was shining brightly and our feet were itching to walk. Snjezana, Paola and I decided to try to complete the Beaver Pond trail I had started in the morning. The entire loop is about 8 km. We started from the other end, near the hotel.

It was a slow climb that took us along the mountain, higher and higher up. Down in the valley below we could see the river winding through the canyon and guessed where Dai and "the girls" were enjoying the hot water spring.
The path turned left into the woods, mosquitoes were swarming round our ears and a German couple came from the opposite direction and told us those would be the only animals we would see tonight.
But we were not easily discouraged and decided to walk at least to the Beaver Pond. After a while we arrived at a pond in the middle of the woods, surrounded by multi-coloured flowers. It looked as if a painter had spilled all his blue,white and yellow on a tablecloth of green with specks of pink and orange. The sun was slowly setting and the shadows grew taller. A bird stirred in the water and we giggled nervously.
On the second bend a second pond appeared and at the far end, three graceful male deer stepped out of the shadows. They were quietly grazing on the slope in front of us. We stopped in our track, grabbed our cameras and shot about a hundred pictures, I think. Then we slowly moved closer. They looked at us, inquisitively but without fear, and grazed on. And closer we came, the trail took us there, they climbed a little higher on the flank of the mountain and let us share their space. We didn't know what to say, but didn't want to walk on. It was so intense, so unbelievably beautiful.
We had to shake ourselves and leave them be, knowing our paths would never cross again and that it was sheer luck that we were there when they came along.
Singing in our hearts, we upped our speed, worried about the time and fearing darkness would fall.
Then, the trail turned away from the woods, to a clearing and another pond. We stopped to listen to a woodpecker and the strange sound of other water fowl. We noticed a hiker with a camera pointed to the other side of the pond and then we spotted the object he was looking at:
a cinnamon coloured black bear was having a nap in the late afternoon sun.
We couldn't believe our eyes. Our cameras' zooms were not strong enough and we swore we would get stronger ones in case we'd have another encounter of the kind. But an encounter of this kind, you never get that chance again. We just stood there and watched the bear slowly move back and forth. We didn't spot any cubs. We were happy the pond separated us from him.
In the mean time, we were covered by mosquitoes, but who would care, when you can watch a bear?
We finally tore ourselves away from the spot - the bear didn't have the intention of moving -and continued towards Mammoth Hot Springs. Elated and a little nervous in case our path would cross his, but it didn't and all by all we felt relieved. The rest of the way we felt as if our feet had wings and the 3-hour walk only took its toll when we finally sat down for a beer in the bar and told the others about our adventure.
Yellowstone had given us a peep inside its secret world. The one we dream of, the one we long for. To be part of it, albeit but a moment, is divine.

Tour of Yellowstone - Artist Point

After lunch at the Old Faithful Inn, a superb example of Parkitecture, we moved on towards Yellowstone Lake, which is the highest lake of this size in the US. The scenery is breathtaking, after every bend and turn in the road, a new picture-perfect scene unfolds.

From here, we followed the Yellowstone River to the Upper and Lower Falls. At Artist Point we had a perfect view of the canyon and the falls. Again, words cannot begin to describe what you see. People gather on the terrace and cameras flash left and right.

Over a hundred years ago, a landscapist painted what lies before us and brought it to Washington to convince the government that this valley was worth protecting. What a wonderful idea that was!

Tour of Yellowstone - Norris & Old Faithful

Mike knows the area by heart. He takes many groups on tours and hardly realises that he is driving through one of the most beautiful places on earth.

While we tried to listen to Dave's comments on the evolution of the park, we watched out for wildlife and we were lucky: Canada geese, Trumpeter swans, a coyote (for sure), a wolf (perhaps), several impressive bisons near the road, a pelican, ground squirrels, some female elk and a bull, deer, ... they all let us have a glimpse.

Spotting them from the bus caused some excitement - in some more than in others - but I still feel it doesn't compare to meeting them when you're on foot, on equal grounds.

Our first stop was at Norris geyser basin. Here, the geothermal activity of the park takes place before your very eyes. Many boiling wells and geysers bubble and spurt. The Steamboat geyser is impredictable and when it blows, it can go much higher than any other in the Park. We watched the steam come out the holes in the ground and couldn't help wondering if it would explode there and then, next week or in a year or so...

The scenery has something unearthy, lunary, dreamlike. The colours of the soil, of the water in the pools varies from dark rusty to pale aquamarine blue. The many hues and shades change with the rhythm of the clouds floating past. It is a spectacle one must see to understand. Photos may help you to imagine, but the sounds of the hissing water, the smell of sulphur cannot be captured on paper or on a webpage.

After this first confrontation, we were ready for the big tourist attraction of the park: Old Faithful. This geyser deserves its name because it can be predicted when it will blow. We only had to wait a couple of minutes - together with a huge crowd assembled around the mound - before we witnessed the explosion. First Old Faithful teased us a little, blowing little clouds and going off a tiny bit, but then up it went higher and higher up in the sky till we felt the spray on our faces ... Happy to have witnessed this natural feature that has been taking place for centuries already, we speculated on the future of the craters and geysers. Will the plumbing system connecting the different pots and holes one day give way and what will happen then...

Discovering the Wild

I really insist on writing the Wild with a capital "W".

It is a personal thing. I wanted to keep this blog as neutral as possible, but I cannot help writing about this experience. It simply is too strong.

When I came to the Rockies 9 years ago, I was overwhelmed by the beauty of the scenery. We visited several national parks, and all have their own typicality and they compete in grandeur and magnificence. Glacier National Park was my husband's favourite, but I felt dwarfened by the giant mountains around me and an uncomfortable feeling nibbled at my stomach. Peaks too high, canyons too deep for the small human being in me. Yellowstone, on the other hand, had enchanted me. I was curious to find out how this second encounter would work.

Well, I cannot begin to describe it. My English vocabulary is far too limited and even in my mothertongue I would be short of words. The same fantastic feeling grabbed hold of me. The space, the neverending horizon, the mountains, the river, the trees, the flowers, they seemed to embrace me, to call me, to invite me in.

Bruce would go on a morning hike and agreed for me to join him. Jose Luis, Sengly and Dave came along too. We decided to take the Beaver Pond trail. We had hardly left the buildings behind us and there appeared the first elk. I didn't count them, there were many and they didn't seem bothered by our intrusion. Meeting an animal at daybreak in its own habitat is a special privilege. It is as if nature gives you a bonus. It makes you wonder how you deserve this. It makes you realise you can be part of it. It makes you feel humble and grateful.

After an hour we realised that the loop would be too long to finish this morning and we headed back to the hotel. My heart was singing. Yellowstone was opening its arms to me again.

Arrival at Yellowstone National Park

After a quick swim in the hot spring pool at Fairmont Hotel, a short walk through the fields, which was cut short due to an unexpected attack by swallows - hard to believe but oh so true - I had breakfast with Victor, from Russia. We talked about many things and a.o. about the longlasting correspondence he has kept with people he has never met and is about to meet for the first time here in the US. Fascinating!

Our bus was ready for us at 10 o'clock and we drove to the Stack. This is the remainder of a huge copper smelter which belonged to the Anaconda corporation. Its chimney stands alone in the wide landscape as a token of an industrial era that has forever disappeared.

The road took us to Livingstone, a typical western town where we had time for lunch. The group split up and Sandra and I found a nice bar and split a hamburger, whih is a wise thing to do for Europeans who are still not quite accustomed to American food standards.

From here, we drove to Gardiner and through the North Entrance we entered Yellowstone Park.

As if to welcome us, a pronghorn antilope was grazing nearby and we got excited about what was waiting for us.

We arrived at the Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel and checked into our rooms. This hotel is quite basic, but with all the commodities needed. Dave drew our attention to the architecture of the buildings in the park, which he calls "Parkitecture". The architects followed the Arts and Craft movement and tried to let the buildings blend in with nature. They wanted to set the houses, hotels, etc. in the National Parks apart from the ones in the cities.

I simply couldn't wait to get my walking shoes on and set off to the Mammoth Hot Springs just next to the hotel. I remembered them from 9 years ago, when I was here with my husband and three daughters. Somehow I felt transported in time, it looked the same and different. Maybe because this place keeps moving: hot water spurts out off the ground and changes the surface continually. It was very windy and a steep climb to the top of the boardwalk, but very rewarding indeed.

For our evening meal, we could take the coach back to Gardiner, but some of us decided to walk the 8 km. We thought there was a trail all along the river. However, this wasn't quite the case.

First we took a short cut and went down the slope to the river bank. A beautiful trail followed the winding river. Suddenly, we saw a big yellow and brown snake crawling between the rocks.

Then, we came to hot springs in the river where lots of people were bathing. We continued our walk but had to follow the road because the trail had stopped. When the coach finally caught up with us, the driver saw a rainstorm coming and decided to give us a lift for the rest of the way.

I shared a bison steak with Beatrice and really enjoyed it. While we were eating, an enormous rainbow spanned the sky above Yellow Stone. It was an omen of good luck for the days to come.

Butte - is it a hill or is it a pit?

Ever heard of Butte? First of all, do you know how to pronounce it? Not the French way, though it is a French word, meaning hill. You must pretend there is only 1 'T' and let it rhyme with flute.

Anyway, Butte is mainly a big hole. In my native dialect, we would call it "'t hol van Plutol". It used to be, however, the richest hill on earth. In the belly of Butte, copper was found and it became one of the wealthiest mining towns of the nation. In 1955, open excavation started and this created the biggest pit, that can be seen from space.
Butte today is quite another story. A sad one, mainly. An example of many other mining towns in the country. Once the mine has run dry, the money dries up and the people leave. Driving into Butte, I was convinced this was a ghost town. But I was wrong. Some people actually live here. In rickety houses, along empty streets with closed down shops...

Then, you might wonder, what we were doing here? Well, the national folk festival takes place in Butte. It does so for three years in a row and then moves on to another state. Today was the last day of the festival. We left the hotel at 11 am, stopped at Wallmart for some phonecards and lost Alphonse - but then found him again! - and were dropped off in Butte just too late to see the line dancing and the rodeo. However, there were many other attractions to enjoy. Paola, Snjezana and I decided to stick to the typical Montana folk with traditional cowboy and Indian stories and songs. We listened to a cowboy hat maker and a cowboy boot maker. We watched a cowboy on a quarter horse cutting cattle, we saw beadwork, weaving baskets, found Norwegian Rosemahlen and a Croatian guitar builder. The rain gathered in heavy curtains around the valley and drifted towards us from the mountains. It poured down on us, we had to take shelter in the tents. Then, the sky broke open again and we could move on. We discovered a superb little terrace with a perfect view of the arena and listened to Acadian music coming from the main tent.
Finally, Dai suggested to walk to the 'Pit'. It was quite impressive, filled with copper-coloured water. More than 1 kilometer deep.
Thunder and lightning gave us a free show against the backdrop of the mountains and we hurried back to the bus.

In fact, the thunderstorm has got worse now and for tomorrow and the following days, they are predicting more rain. It's a shame really, although Dave promised that it wouldn't spoil the wonders we are about to see in Yellowstone and I've made up my mind that I won't let it spoil the fun.

Enjoy the cowboys song I've recorded, especially for you! Sorry to find it lying down ...

Flying to the West

On Saturday we were picked up at 8 a.m. and took a plane to Chicago. The flight took 2 1/2 hours. From Chicago we flew to Billings and that took us another 3 hours. The coach was waiting for us and so was David Stanley Professor of English Emeritus at Westminster University, our guide for this week. He also specialised as a teacher of American Studies and is a keen folkorist. On the coach, Dave gave us an interesting summary of the history of the West and then we could watch "Shane" a western of 1952 portraying the "good old values" of the stereotype cowboy. Busdriver Mike brought us to Fairmont, after a 4 hour drive, where we checked into our comfortable hotel rooms. A beautiful swimming pool with water from the hot water springs was waiting for us but most of us were too tired and went straight to bed.

We were pretty tired after such a long trip but also very excited about this part of our stay.

Our last night in Charles Drew or ITD House

Friday - again - the third one here. Quite incredible, really.

As usual, we debriefed the past week and told Julie and Bruce what we appreciated most and what could - perhaps - be improved.

We received some more dollars to spend during the Conquest of the West. Cheerful faces all around!

Beatrice, Paola and I went to Jones Library. On the top floor there is a special collection on Emily Dickinson. We watched an excellent video of a play portraying the poet's life. Emily came to life. She surprised us is many ways: we discovered a stubborn, funny, passionate, caring, gifted woman.

The sun was out today. It felt like summer for the first time. Paola and I bought a fruit pie and a coffee and had a picnic on a bench in the park. It was absolutely lovely.

Then I went shopping - again. This time for pure necessities, such as deep forest bug spray and tooth paste. When I arrived at the dorm, it was high time to finish my project.

I had a flash of inspiration and wrote two lessons: one for elementary and one for advanced students. Barbara Madeloni was pleased about the result and I can leave on our trip with a quiet conscience.

At three in the afternoon, I had to start packing. Most of us did. I absolutely hate it and usually wait till the very last moment. My room turned into a mess in no time. I couldn't decide what to take and what to leave behind. I think I bought too may books, I believe I brought too many clothes, or not the right ones. One consolation, all the women in the group struggled with the same dilemna.

Fortunately, we had something to look forward too: dinner at Judie's. I've told you about her before and if you haven't been there, you really should go. All the tables were taken, so we first had a drink at the bar and then we had a delicious meal and spent a very enjoyable evening.

Back at the dorm, I went straight to the computer room to finish this bit on the blog. Tomorrow we rise early... I'd better finish packing.

Hope to be with you the following days. It will depend on the computer facilities during our trip.

There was music in the air ...

We had to choose some articles from the Sunday papers for a discussion and today the topics were once more diverse. There was an article on the relationship between the US and Russia. It was extra interesting to hear the comments from our friends from Russia, the Ukraine, Ouzbekistan, and Kazakstan on this article and how the same item is covered in their respective countries. Another article was about how children of criminals often end up in criminality and how this is mainly connected to drug abuse. The number of prisoners is staggeringly high: half of the black male population is in jail, 1 in 25 white males, 1 in 4 black children's parents. With on top of this an unemployment rate of 60-70% in certain cities, the future looks grim.
Our third article touched upon the increased tourist taxes and Bruce explained the complicated - and unfair - taxing system. In Massassuchets there is the 2 1/2 tax law which prohibits cities to increase taxes by more than 2 1/2 % without referendum. With the present inflation rate, costs cannot be covered and yet if a referendum were to be held, noone would want more taxes. A vicious circle again.

Fortunately, after the break we could start off on a brighter note. The talented Steve Tracy, professor of Afro-American Studies at the University of Massachussets gave us a most enjoyable lecture on "West-Africa, Jazz and the Blues". He brought his harmonica along and played a few tunes. Amazing grace in different versions with a full range of emotions that made me shiver. He told the story of how music from West-Africa crossed the ocean on the slave ships and started leading a new life, forging a new identity, faithful to its roots. The music may sound discordant and distorted at times, the melody may seem lost, it feels like your heart skips a beat, it allows countercurrents to be detected, it lets many players in at the same time.
It's what the essence of art is about, either a part of your life, or something you hang on your wall. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LcKDTXpeYqA

In the afternoon, we had some time off, so I hurried to the Dickinson Homestead for more information for my project. I walked to Austin and Susan Dickinson's house "The Evergreens", to the bookstore and visited the Amherst Historical Museum.
Back at the dorm, I continued work on my lesson plan. It's starting to take shape and I hope to finish it tomorrow.

And then more music. Tonight we went to a Jazz in July All-Star Concert at the Bowker Auditorium at the University of Massachussets. It was a wonderful concert with very talented musicians: Bob Ferrier, Chip Jackson, Catherine Jensen-Hole, Steve Johns, Tiger Okoshi, to name but a few.
You can check out the following links:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pw1l2J6D1p4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OJ7BS_FF7N4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h5hradQwTGo

It was hard to sit still. We felt like swinging along.
Our lecturer this morning said that for a musician, the instrument is like an extension of the voice, after enjoying tonight, I would say that the instrument is an extension of their body and soul.

A glimpse of the Wild

Jan Dizard, Professor of Sociology and American Studies at Amherst College, sharpened our appetite for next week's trip.

First of all, he sketched the background of the American land as it was found by the first Europeans, how they exploited it and moved west to conquer more, how they cut the forest, the land eroded, rivers flooded, dams were built, animals were hunted and consequently species disappeared. In the first week of our stay at Amherst, we visited Frost library and saw an example of a beautiful book by Audubon, with paintings and drawings of American natural history. Just as some other early environmentalists such as George Marsh and John Muir, he realised something needed to be done to stop the devastation and preserve nature for the future generations.
In 1872, J.D. Rockefeller bought the valley of Yellowstone and gave it to the American people. It became the first National Park of the USA. Thanks to this - often called the best American invention ever - most species, that were on the brink of extinction, rebounded. John Muir's efforts eventually led to the Wilderness Act, which in time, led to the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act and the Endangered Species Act, all signed into law by President Nixon. They can be called landmark pieces in legislation.
At the same time, environmentalism has become a "special interest" as opposed to a "common interest". This might be why it has been so ineffectual on matters such as global warming, where the USA are not taking on a leading role.
The debate was opened and many questions were launched at our lecturer, unfortunately a lot of them were left unanswered, for this is a matter of global scale and many interests are at stake.

After the break, we made a virtual trip to several National Parks, as we were offered a pre-screening of a documentary series "The National Parks - America's Best Ideas".
The overwhelming scenery of the wild, mountains, rivers, forests, bisons, and a handy bear catching a salmon flying upstream, simply took our breath away.
One of the interviewees put it in a nutshell: " A single moment in a site like Yellowstone can last forever".

In the afternoon, we drove to Springfield and visited the local newspaper "The Republican". This newspaper is published 7 days a week and has a distribution of 80.000 on weekdays and 120.000 at the weekend. We visited the site, saw the press, and talked to the staff.

The newspaper was established in 1824 by Samuel Bowles (II) and turned into a daily paper by Samuel Bowles (III) in 1844. Emily Dickinson was an acquaintance of the family and they published a few of her poems during her lifetime. Until today, the newspaper is still family-owned.

At present, all newspapers all over the world are struggling to survive due to the harsh competition with new media such as the internet and local TV stations. It isn't any different here in Springfield. Only last week, some of the staff were laid off.

Although they have very busy jobs and deadlines to respect, the staff were willing to give us some feedback on their jobs. We really appreciated this and found it most interesting : the bi-lingual local reporter, the business reporter, the editorial writer, the new media editor, the educational editor, the photographers told us what their average working day looks like.

A special mention should go to the fact that The Republican has a special Tuesday page for and by teenagers. These youngsters are invited to a roundtable meeting once a month and decide on the topics they will cover. These topics can vary from "The legacy of Michael Jackson" to "Should supreme court judges be elected or appointed". They also write book and film reviews and there is a Heritage section. The education editor reviews these articles and some must be re-written before they go into print. The students are paid for their articles. Schools use this newspaper section, called Unlisted Teens for projects and they can be used for ESL lessons.

And after this, for some of us, believe it or not: another visit to the Mall ... some last minute shopping before we head West: walking shoes, rain gear, a warm jumper, a telephone, a battery recharger, a bag to transport the lot, ... you name it, we (probably) bought it!

Eyes on the Prize

Today, we watched two episodes of a documentary film "Eyes on the Prize" about the Civil Rights movement.

We learned about the horribly shocking case of Emmet Till, a black teenager from the north, who was mutilated and murdered by two white men in the south, because he had been cheeky to a white woman in a shop. There was a (black) star witness and all the evidence pointed to the two local men, yet they were pronounced not guilty. Later, they sold their story to a newspaper for 4.000 dollars. The funeral attracted huge crowds and Emmet's mother wanted an open casket so that the whole world could see what had happened to her boy. Thus, he became an icon of the Civil Rights Movement.

Another name that we'll remember is Rosa Parks. She took the bus in Montgomery and refused to get up to give her place to a white man. She was taken to prison. The women's movement issued a flyer inviting people to boycott the buses. In four days time, 40.000 people were mobilised. The intention was to boycott the buses for a couple of days or a week, however, the movement grew stronger and wasn't ready to give in. The boycott held for over a year. Some bus companies had to close down, some people lost their job, the black population in the south continued to walk, even if it meant many miles a day. Finally, segregation on the bus was pronounced unconstitutional and for the first time, black people could sit wherever they wanted.

It was during this bus boycott that Martin Luther King emerged as a keynote speaker. It was in 1955 and he was 26 years old. M.L. King asked for dignity, he preached love, not hate. To hear him speak was inspiring for many people. And the national press became interested in this eloquent Rev. King. Unfortunately, the whites hardened their position and targeted anyone who would support the desegregation. Ku klux clan members would rally openly. They tried to frighten the black people, but nothing stopped them, they found strength in their regular meetings in the churches and felt that they had something worth struggling for: freedom.

In the second episode, we learned about the Freedom Summer of 1964. Students from all over the country who supported the movement came to the southern states to help convince people to register to vote. In order to do so, people had to fill in a long questionnaire and pay up to 1 week of salary, and yet they were motivated. During this particular summer, two young white students and one black students were picked up by the police, put into jail, released and then disappeared. This was worrying and it attracted major national media attention. Some weeks later their bodies were found. They had been shot in the back and the black man had suffered other severe injuries too.

This affair triggered more activism within the movement and the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party was opened to all people. Ms Fanny Lou Hamer speaks live on television - and was interrupted by a short speech of President Johnson. The Supreme Court looked for a compromise and MFDP were offered 2 seats. Although in the end they never seated, it opened up the Democratic party.

Professor Bill Strickland shared his personal reflections with us. He was born in Boston and went to Harvard, where he was one of only 11 black students in his class. Racial issues were something he had not been confronted with, until he got in touch with the Civil Rights Movement. He learned that all societies think well of themselves, but that they all have subterranean histories. He quoted a line from a poem by Worth Long: "We have found you out, four faced Americas, we have found you out. We have found you out, false faced farmers, we have found you out."

Professor Strickland pointed out that it is important to see the history of the Civil Rights Movement in the correct historical context; it was the age of the revolution. All over the world there were upstarts and strong student movements. For today, Strickland ends on a pessimistic note and says that today, there is no real movement. People are in limbo. The media don't play a fair role, Americans are fed trivial themes in huge portions and the huge themes that deserve their attention are often swept under the rug.

In the afternoon, Professor of History Dayo Gore gave a lecture about "Rethinking the Civil Rights Movement". She focused on the women who gave shape to the movement, and on the bottom-up evolution instead of focusing on the big names connected to the CRM. In 1946 already the first Women's Political Council was formed in Montgomery; in 1954, Joanne Robinson sent a letter to the Mayor asking for better treatment on the bus; in 1955 Claudette Colvin got arrested for not getting up; in the same year, Rosa Parks got arrested and that incident set off the boycott of the buses. A quotation from Rosa Parks: " I woke up this morning with my mind set on freedom". Ella Baker was a central activist, leader and theorist for the movement and said: " I never worked for an organization but for a cause". In 1964, Fanny Lou Hamer speaks at the national convention. These women, their names, their faces, their words and their deeds deserve to be remembered. The story should be told, again and again, from different perspectives, to allow us to get the full picture - as far as possible.

Not long ago, Rosa Parks passed away and received a state funeral. Today, the USA have a black president. Has change come at last? Is freedom for all finally in sight?