Mid month we met up with my old Sydney flatmates, Mel and Elisabeth, and Mel's husband Brian, in Boston. We got tickets to a Yale-Harvard football game. By three quarter time we still couldn't figure out the rules and there was no beer being sold at the event, so we left. Because the drinking age is 21 here they have started to ban alcohol at Uni events which is just WRONG! Yale won by the way. The half time entertainment was a sight to behold. Marching bands and songs. And a skit by each team. Apparently God smote Yale but loves Harvard...?
Cheerleaders
Thanksgiving is huge in America and most people go home for a traditional Thanksgiving dinner which is a lot like our Christmas tradition. We went to a dinner at Yale the Monday before Thanksgiving so we could experience the 'real thing'. It was very yummy! Turkey and roast vegies with cranberry sauce and some sort of corn bake. I'm not a fan of pumpkin pie though - it doesn't have much taste except for the cinnamon. At the dessert stand I asked the server if I could have half a slice of pie. "No" she replied. "I don't care if you throw half of it away, you have to take the whole thing." This was especially odd as the event was held to raise money for the starving people in New Haven. Sorry they are not starving, they just have 'low food security'.
We took advantage of the fact that no one in America wants to travel Thanksgiving day (like Christmas day for us) and got a great deal to Washington DC. We flew there and spent 3 nights at the Hotel Washington which is pretty much across the road from the White House. We had a fantastic holiday! It is a beautiful city with lots of parks and the Smithsonian Institute. I thought the Smithsonian would be just a science museum and an art gallery - boy was I wrong! There are about ten museums/art galleries that are absolutely huge - and they are all free. Plus about ten others not associated with the 
Smithsonian. We love that sort of thing and went to the air and space museum, the Natural History Museum and some art galleries. We ran out of time to see them all. I was a bit disappointed that the Natural History Museum had a display that said the earth was cooling. We found the Academy of Science museum though and it had an awesome display about global warming so I was happy. Shame we were the only ones in it!
We found the Lincoln and Jefferson memorials quite interesting and learnt a bit about American History. OK, so I had to go read the kids' books in the tourist shop to figure out some of it! Ignorant Australian! Apparently Thomas Jefferson set up the National Academy of Science to advise the government. Shame he didn't specify that the government was obliged to listen.
At the start of our holiday we spent a bit of time walking around trying to find the White House. We weren't sure what it looked like and didn't like to show our ignorance by asking someone. Eventually we stumbled across it, and took lots of photos.... only to realise later it was the back of the White House. Ignorant Australians. Needless to say George wasn't in the back yard and didn't invite us in for a drink.
I met a White House Intern in a bar one night and had a very interesting chat. He told me he makes coffee for George. My instant reply was 'Do you spit in it?' By the look on his face, I don't think anyone had asked him that before. Nevertheless I spent a good hour explaining global warming over a few drinks, so feel that I may have made some contribution toward getting the US to sign Kyoto. Hey - its the closest I'll ever get to George's ear.
I am back today from giving a seminar at WHOI. For non-oceanographers. That is the Woods Hole Oceanography Institute at Cape Cod which is about 3 and a half hours drive away. It went OK, but I enjoyed Princeton more. I did get to have a big chat with Joe Pedlosky who is lovely and very encouraging.
In less than 2 weeks I leave for a Conference in San Francisco and Pete is off to Australia. Looking forward to getting home. Have been feeling a bit homesick lately. After having to eat out in Washington and Woods Hole for the last week, I've discovered that I've become a fussy eater. I refuse to eat hot dogs, hamburgers, jumbo shrimp, buffallo wings, cheese pizza, high fructose corn syrup and American chocolate. Hence there isn't a lot of choice! Can't wait for lunch at Sugo in Salamanca.
The back of the White House The front of the White House
