News and Views From my kids accomplishments, to my heretical perspective of the world

I got an email from Derek. He wasn’t able to post to his blog yet, but I’ll put some excerpts here, edited to fit your screen and for grammar. (He was in a hurry with limited internet access.)

Hi Dad! Hi Mom!

I arrived here fine, my plane was a little late but it was okay.

On the first plane ride to Chicago, I overheard the people in the row in front of me asking the stewardess about how to get to the international terminal in Chicago because they had to go to St. Petersburg. So I mentioned I was going to Petersburg too, and we could go looking for it together. So her, her daughter and I went looking for it and found our gate etc. And I started talking to her daughter and it turned out she goes to Marcos. I thought wow what are the chances! And so when we were getting on the next flight to Warsaw, we looked at our seats and we were sitting next to each other. and was even more surprised when on the next plane from Warsaw to St. Pete, it turned out the three of us were together again. It was very eerie and weird, but nice to have someone that spoke English that was around my age to talk to.

Things definitely are different here. If it wasn’t for the nice people in my program, I would be very very homesick. The living conditions are awful by comparison to home, but not that bad for living. The shower is dirty and old, but there is hot water, and good pressure, so that is all I need. My roommate is from Philadelphia, and goes to a private college in Virginia. He was home-schooled. He is very nice, and I am lucky to have someone like him. He has made these past 24 hours much better. He hasn’t taken any Russian though, so I have to be our translator, as horrible as I am. People talk much much faster than I can mentally translate, so I have to always take a moment and figure out what they said, and then figure out how to say what I want to say, or just hope I get the general idea of what they say and nod my head.

When I got here, my roommate had not arrived yet, so I spent some time and got some food with someone that had taken the same van from the hotel to the airport as me (there were only us 2, since others weren’t getting in until later). I was depressed at first, because it is much worse than I had imagined, and I had romanticized it a lot. But after getting over the shock of how third world and dirty everything is (don’t drink the water!) I have started to enjoy things, and it is an adventure, from everything to ordering food, to not realizing I had gotten sparkling water until hours later when I opened it to brush my teeth.

Also, the driving is crazy here. As bad as China or worse. Pedestrians are an annoyance for drivers, and apparently no one has heard of a jaywalking law (there might not be any) so it’s just fend for yourself, unless you’re lucky enough to be near a crosswalk with a light.

We are on our own since yesterday (Saturday) since the time I got the hotel (about 16:45) until Monday at 16:15. So me and my roommate have just been going to the supermarket, and enjoying Russia.

I miss you guys, but I’m enjoying myself here. It is a wonderful experience. Please keep an eye on my bank account, because I have no clue how much money I’m withdrawing, since I withdraw in rubles, and don’t know the exchange rates or charges.

Sorry this is so unorganized. I have had so many thoughts and things to write about, that I’m just typing them as they come up.

I’m running out of time here (2 minutes left) so I should close this letter. I love you both very much! I am thankful that you let me take this trip, it is very un so far and quite an experience. Keep in touch through your blog, until I get a longer chance to get on the internet. I hope things at home are fine without me. How is apollo doing? I love you guys! Thank you!

We put Derek on a plane to Russia this morning, for his 5-week Study Abroad. He has a 2-1/2 hour layover in Chicago, then takes Polish Air (LOT) to Warsaw and then on to St. Petersburg. He arrives around 2:00 pm their time, around 3:00 am our time. I hope he waits a few hours before he calls to tell us he has arrived. But I hope he doesn’t wait too long!

I also hope he has a chance to keep his blog updated so we can all share vicariously in his adventure.

It already seems quiet around here, even though he would normally still be sleeping. We are going to miss him.

I am now a member of the faculty at ASU (Arizona State University).

I’ve been helping my friend Les, who is a Professor of Biology, with some computer programming on some of his biology projects. He thought that as long as I was working for the university I might as well be on the faculty. He helped me apply, and we just heard that I was accepted.

An “Adjunct” faculty member isn’t really a big deal. Some adjuncts are professors and can teach classes, etc, but I will just be a lowly programmer/hike-assistant/helper. But I might get a little pay for my hours, and also have parking, library, bookstore and some other privileges.

And this doesn’t mean I will start cheering the Sun Devils!

Hey, I just realized that Derek is a student, and I am faculty. Hmmm. Wonder how I can take advantage of that…

Since Derek is going to be in Russia during June, Gisele and I thought it might be nice to take a trip at the same time, kind of a second or third honeymoon, maybe.

We have reservations for June 19 on a 10-day cruise that departs from Copenhagen, Denmark, and visits Sweden, Finland, Norway, Estonia, Poland and Russia. In fact, we will spend two days in St. Petersburg while Derek is there, so he can be our guide and interpreter.

The week before we go, Gisele will be in France, so we will just meet in Copenhagen.

Poor Devon has his new job and so will miss out on the travel this year. He said his job with “Spectra Sensors” is going very well and that he is enjoying it. I guess he’s doing lots of programming in Java, and using his physics training too.

Derek is near the end of his first year at ASU, looking forward to his trip to Russia.

Apollo is spoiled, whining if nobody plays with him at least once or twice a day. He gets to go for a bike ride at least twice a week, and visits the dog park once or twice too. He’s very good at fetching a ball, and an excellent catcher of scraps of food thrown his way. I guess he will stay with Derek’s girlfriend, Gabby, while we are gone. She has a large dog too, and the two of them enjoy playing together.

Devon finally has a new job, working for Spectra Sensors. He’ll be doing programming as an intern, for a 3 month term. I guess it will be renegotiated at that time.

He still lives in Pasadena near his old company, but the new job is about 30 miles away in Rancho Cucamonga. Good thing he has a Prius!

No, he didn’t go anywhere yet. I’m talking about his spine.

He went to see a neurosurgeon last week, and was told that he is not a candidate for surgery. He’s too young, and his back is not bad enough.

So it’s back to the “pain specialist” to see what our next option is.

Derek has started a blog here.

Look for some interesting posts this summer from half way around the world.

A few months ago I reported that my City League basketball team had an “undefeating season”, and ended at 0-8.

In the off season we picked up a 6’7″ center and have done much better this time around. We are currently 4-3, and last week we beat the previously undefeated first place team by 19 points.

Tomorrow we start the tournament, which will extend over three weeks. Unfortunately they took the top few teams from our league and pushed them up to the tournament in the next division, so we will probably be playing some more competitive teams.

I’ll post the results here.

Gisele flew to Pasadena to spend a couple of weeks with Devon.

Her brother and several other friends live nearby, so she will have lots of people to celebrate Chinese New Year with (Feb 7).

Derek and I are still in Tempe, bach’ing it.

Mom got a phone call yesterday from someone who told her that Donald J. Lafferty had won the Publisher’s Clearing House sweepstakes for five million dollars. However, she had to first send them some “insurance money” before they could release the check to her.

She immediately recognized that it was a scam and told them so, but they insisted it was not. So she got a phone number and name and told them she would call them back after checking it out.

She called me and I assured her that it was most definitely a scam. Sweepstakes never require “insurance money” in advance, but that’s a common scammer ploy.

I toyed with the idea of contacting the police to see if they could be caught, but I doubt that they will call her back, or that the number was valid.

Anyway, Kudos to Mom for not falling for their tricks.