Last entry from Australia Trip

Well, this is my last post from this relatively short trip to Melbourne, Australia.

Today, I started the trip back taking a taxi from the hotel at 8:00 am Aussie time. That translates to 4:00 p.m. Wednesday, east coat time. I shared a ride to the airport with John from Sibelius, Australia. We talked about the conference and how much I was impressed with how well it was run. They included some really neat ideas - a keynote every morning to start the day. The other two keynote speakers were performers. One played bass and had us signing and dancing with technology providing the groove. The other was James Morrison, one of the most famous jazz musicians from Australia. He is a world-class trumpet player. He performed with a HS jazz band, not a tech ensemble as we usually have at the TI:ME conferences. His talk was to focus on the musical goal and then determine what software can help that goal. Actually, the focus throughout the conference was on the musical result, not the technology - a philosophy that I share.

As the Quantas flight 93 started to taxi for take off, the pilot abruptly slammed on the brakes. This was a first for me in all of my flights over the years. Once on a domestic flight, we took off and then circled and came back down, but never an abort in the middle of the take off. Fortunately, it was an easy fix and we were back in the air in about a half hour.

The service on the Quantas flight was spectacular! Their service included free drinks, two excellent meals, great in-flight entertainment that you control on your own screen. I spent most of the time listening to CDs. My favorite was the Beatles album Love that includes a host of Beatles tunes tied together as one long medley with some really cool and inventive transitions. I listed to some jazz CDs as well. One I really enjoyed was a CD with Dizzy and Count Basie with only the two of them and bass and drums called "The Gifted Ones."

I did sleep a couple of hours when it was midnight back in the east. One thing I did figure out on this trip is how to determine the time back east when in Australia: just subtract 12 hours from the time and then subtract 4 more – the east is 16 hours behind.

We got to LA on time and then I got through customs without a hitch. I was awake and stayed up the entire flight from LA to Philly so I could get back on the Eastern clock as I am teaching at Haverford tomorrow. We landed early at 7:00 p.m. The advice I got from composer Jerry Nowak on fighting jet lag really worked (so far). His advice: drink lots of water and stay up and get on the new time clock the very first day even if it means staying up for 24 hours. This worked and I am confident I will avoid the jetlag that I experienced after our trip to Melbourne in 1988 when it took me several months to kick it.

It was a wonderful trip. I enjoyed meeting so many new teachers. I bonded with several teachers and exchanged email addresses with many. Many of the teachers in attendance at the conference were already using technology, so the conversation centered on how to integrate the technology in new and different ways. I was glad that my stories and teacher jokes were as well received here as they are in the states. That helped. I hope to return someday. Oh, another cool thing: My nametag read: Dr. Tom Rudolph, USA. Usually it reads Havertown, PA or Univ. of the Arts. It was really cool to be the only one at the conference from the US.

I must admit that the shy little Tommy Rudolph who did not like to go to parties when he was little sure has come a long way, delivering a keynote address in another country. I say that with tears in my eyes and not trying to sound proud or braggadocios.

It was a rewarding trip although I did miss speaking to Tiiu and the kids. I am home now, so all is well.