After orientation yesterday I pottered about around this area of Philadelphia, doing a few chores, getting my bearings. Then I checked e-mails and did some OU work. I was about to head out for dinner when the phone went – it was Irina, one of the other fellows, a Romanian, so we went for dinner together. Oysters, Long Island and East Coast. Definitely very different from the French ones I’ve been eating down in Hautes Pyrenees (and I have to say I prefer the French ones). But I shall endeavour to try others, all to inform you about the differences of course (cough cough). I stayed up quite late in an effort to get into the time zone, and seem to be doing quite well, as I woke up only very briefly at that magic 4.30 time. Woke up early (that won’t last long…) then coffee and a bagel before setting off to the first meeting of the day. A few details are on the other blog. The guy (a US Eisenhower fellow) was so dynamic and though they are running into a few problems, you definitely got the feeling that if he can’t make it work, no-one can.
Wilmington was an eye-opener in many ways. Can you imagine a 1pm meeting in Brussels that wasn’t lunch??!! I’m finding all this early eating quite difficult! After a meeting at DuPont’s HQ I headed out to their research centre there. Details on the other blog. Taxi didn’t turn up to take me to the station so I got a bus, resigning myself to missing my train. But luckily Amtrak gives Virgin trains a run for their money, the train was 10 minutes late, and I made it! Back at the hotel now, about to go to get a bite to eat (food? again? already?) then try to get some OU done.
Hope everyone back home is well, do leave me a comment or two to let me know I’m not writing into the ether. Sorry there’s nothing juicy yet – will endeavour to rectify that!
Antonia in America, March-May 2008 