Captain’s log - August 23 – Square One Mall in Boston

Oh man did I sleep late today…

Well, yesterday at MIT Media lab was a dream come true to me, as I always was dreaming to visit there (more like study there, but its close). Let’s see, at the last post I was at the airport …. Well, they kept delaying the flight from about 5pm to 7:30pm, during that time I was setting at a table near and electricity plug when a black woman asked me if she could share the table (it’s the plug she want!). I said yes and time went on as we both were waiting for our flight. After a while we started talking and I explained why I’m here and where I work and such. She turned out to be from the army intelligent and was going to Chicago (needless to say I didn’t ask any question about her job so that I won’t be killed afterward!). Her plan call came and I continue waiting for my flight. Finally it was here and we flew to Boston. I took a cap to the hotel I’m currently in. No complaint about the hotel, except its wireless internet is not complimentary. I went to sleep because I had a visit to the MIT the next day. In the morning I asked the front desk for a cap and took that cap to Cambridge (Where MIT is). At first I couldn’t find out where the media lab is because I didn’t have internet and the MIT campus internet didn’t work right away with me. I went to the Student Union building, there I asked one of the desks about the location but they didn’t know so they gave me a map of the place. Walking around a bit didn’t help me in figuring out where I want to go. I asked a Japanese lady who was working at a parking booth there and she showed me where I need to go. I walked to that location (only 10 min away) and I enjoyed the scenery until I reached there. I got into the building and reached Ms. Jacqueline Karaaslanian office. It was 10 am and Dr. Arnan Roger Sipitakiat was not in his office so she invited me back to her office to wait and talk for a bit. I told her the talent center story and what we do (and she was impressed  ). She (learning what I am here for) started to give me information and guidance on what to improve and what can we do here and there (even if I didn’t met with Dr. Arnan it would have been a great visit because of her). She showed me around the lab and we returned to her office to talk some more. During the conversation the topic of that if I have a master or a phD I can easily get funding from companies and such. She agreed and told me that I would be an ideal candidate to study at MIT thanks to my work with kids. She told me to ask Dr. Arnan about what it takes to enroll and how. At 11am we checked again if he was in his office because that’s the time for our meeting. Turn out he wasn’t there and she told me that I could go to lunch then call her to see if he is back in the afternoon. I took that time to brows to the campus (it seems like this day was the information day so there were lots of families there). Before I had the time to get lunch she called me again and told me that …. Well… The Doctor is in!(she didn’t say that exactly XD ). I went back and talked to Dr. Arnan (turn out he received his PhD the day before, or at least, he finished the day before ). We talked about his work with children and stuff (most of that Ms. Jacqueline told me in the morning), then we talked about enrolling and what it takes (Turned out to be freaking easy! And its funded by MIT itself!). While, that was the end of my visit to MIT so I return to the Student Union and had lunch. I then took a cap to return to the hotel. On the way I saw “The Museum of Science” so I told him to stop and I went in. It didn’t look like there is anything special about it (I’m not a big fan of science museums if they had nothing new or high-tech). I grabbed a cookie and coffee and sat down for a while reading some material Ms. Jacqueline gave me. On the way out of the museum there was the place for the “Boston Duck tour” where the take you around Boston historical places in a boat-car like thing (as it goes in the Charlie river in the end of the tour). I passed but then when walking I heard how funny the “Ducktor” of the boat is, so I turned back and bought a ticket. I ended up with “Colonel Duct Tape”, a funny old man (rumors has it that he duck taped the boat together, no screws or nails XD). We went around Boston as he explained what’s here and there (two times he asked people in the street if they were the last runners in the Boston marathon, which was 4-5 months ago!). Also, people in the street “quack” us as we drive by. After that tour ended I took another cap back. At first he asked me in English where do I want to go, but in the middle of the trip he picked up the phone and went “Ay ya Zool” and went on speaking on the phone in Sudanese. I started laughing to myself and didn’t say anything. He then asked me something and I answered in Arabic. He started to reply in English when *I guess his mind just processed that* he noticed I replied in Arabic. He asked me where I am from and what I’m doing here. I explained the idea of talents center to him and he liked very much. We arrived to the hotel and he wished my good luck with my job and the work we do. I was tired so I thought I could take a shower then write this blog, but I was still tired after the shower so I decided I would sleep and do it tomorrow (today… um yeah!). flipping through the channels of the TV on my bed “The man of the year” by Robin Williams was on. So I watched it and then slept. Today I woke up and walked to the nearest mall for breakfast and to write my reports and this blog ….. and that was it! Now excuse as I’m going to meet a man about a horse. Take care 