Leaving on a jet plane

When you travel, remember that a foreign country is not designed to make you comfortable. It is designed to make its own people comfortable. Clifton Fadiman

My flight to Singapore leaves about noon today. I’m heading to give two short presentations at the National Library Board’s Celebrating Knowledge conference. I’m excited.

I have to admit, that I am not a good airline traveler, despite my NWA Frequent Flyer account saying I’ve accumulated 843,575 miles since my enrollment in 1997. Boys and girls, that is a whole lot of stale peanuts. Of course being 6’ 3” tall getting on the plane and being 5’ 10” when I get off the plane doesn’t help.

Conference participation for me has always been as much or more about my own learning than my teaching others. I can’t remember a single event, whether in the district next door or across the world, in which at least one discussion during a session, in a hallway or at a social event has not informed by professional practice. Bless those souls who are willing to share their ideas and experiences with me. I am slow learner, but I am a learner.

I love foreign travel. For me, it is always first a study in differences that then turns into an appreciation of similarities. Wow, strange clothing, strange plants, strange speech, strange food, strange beliefs. But soon, one quickly realizes that humans all share many common concerns and values. I’ve yet to travel to a place where people do not love their children and place a high value on education. I’ve yet to meet people who are not proud of their culture and accomplishments. Technology is impacting lives though out the world. Governments never seem to be doing as much good as they could do for all their citizens. Nobody likes the current US administration. Everybody thinks his own taxes are too high. You can always find a souvenir shop and an Internet cafe.

I’ll try to relay the good stuff I learn at the conference without boring you with a travelogue.

Gotta go make sure a cat isn’t shut in a closet before I leave the house…