My teaching assistants, Rose and Caleb, did an outstanding job.  Rose  told me that she still remembered very much of the course that she took from me while still a single gal with Philippines Campus Crusade for Christ back in 1985!  Caleb, on the other hand, was with us in Guam as we worked to help bring about Expo 1985, the world’s first international conference mediated by satellite teleconferencing.

The highlight of my off-duty time was a thrilling pair of dives with Beqa Adventure Divers.  You can see a very short video about my time bumping elbows with bull sharks here.

Watch this video on YouTube.

Watch this video on YouTube.

Watch this video on YouTube.

Watch this video on YouTube.

Students from my WorldView course in Singapore (2011)

After a quick turnaround from my ISP trip to Armenia I hopped on a Cathay Pacific flight to Singapore.  I have to say that it was one of my best visits ever, and bear in mind that I’ve accumulated almost a year of residency there since I began to teach short courses every year or so since 1984.  I’ve seen it grow from a million shophouses and a couple of skyscrapers to the most vertical city in the region.  I’ve ridden on handmade non-aircon busses in the ’80s and now blithely enjoy a state-of-the-art underground system (the MRT, also with light-rail characteristics).  One thing never changes:  the food.  It is always amazing, and I wandered from satay at Lau Pau Sat market to Little India for wonderful North and South Indian restaurants.  Not in the same evening, of course.

But back to my classes . . . I was teaching a course in worldview analysis, and my students set a very high standard for excellence. Most had read my textbook  in advance and found it intimidating.  By the end of the course they were using terms like “epistemology” and “metaphysics” during their snack breaks!  After an intense week I left within hours after my final class to begin the journey home.

There were a few downsides.  Our hotel, for instance, had an absolutely stunning number of stairs.  Going from our rooms on the 6th floor to the conference hall in the basement was always a challenge.  Here’s a time-lapse video that will give you a flavor of the place.  Also the food was a bit of a challenge.  Much was wonderful, but there was one particular soup that tasted like a mix of spoiled yogurt and vinegar . . . well, it would never catch on here at home.

Our equipment performed flawlessly, and we had a great sound system thanks to the wonderful setup work done by our Armenian counterparts.  I can’t remember having a better interpreter for my “Introduction to Personal Philosophy” messages.  All in all, it was a delightful time, and I emerged after two weeks without s single sick day and with much stronger legs.

The flight home had a tight connection in Vienna.  Note to future visitors:  a 55 minute connection is TOO SHORT.

The flight home was pretty tedious.  For some reason the routing was Bishkek>Istanbul>Munich>Washingon>Denver>Ontario.  It’s hard to believe that it couldn’t have been simplified.  On the other hand, my buddy Bob was on his way home a day earlier and a woman in his row vomited the whole Boeing 777 into a state of near uninhabitability.  It made my trip back pretty tame by comparison!

Based on what I learned with my Nook I decided I wanted something smaller, something with the best possible screen, something with the longest battery life, and that wifi and 3G were not important. That’s when I discovered the PRS-350SC–and it was heavily discounted at Best Buy.

I’ve taken it to Guatemala and loved the fact that it would fit in my shirt pocket, yet be easier to read than even the best hardback. I can’t imagine life without it now. Way to go, Sony! And that’s the first time in decades I’ve written THOSE words . . .

UPDATE (11/10/2011):  I’ve been playing with a 3rd Generation Kindle (the kind with buttons) and it is an excellent device.  The screen, although supposedly the same ePearl screen as on my Sony, is brighter and without a bluish cast.  It is fast, has excellent text-to-speech conversion, has a simple wifi browser, and–when matched up with Calibre software–is just as easy to load with local books as the Sony.

World-view glasses and AMAZING interpreter Jorge

My recent educational conference (February, 2011) in Guatemala City was one for the record books.  There were NO strikes, NO revolutions, NO pickpockets–in fact, nothing that makes one of my trips memorable.

Except, that is, that I received my first standing ovation ever!  That was on my last day, after completing four lectures in the series, “Introduction to Personal Philosophies.”  I had left our speakers platform and Jorge nudge me.  “They are honoring you!”  To my shock, the entire ballroom was on their feet–perhaps 450-500 teachers from Guatemala City and some of the surrounding towns.

My head stayed inflated for days.