The Windy City Experience

Working at an educational institution have loads of perks. I don't need to list them all down here but one thing that's so obvious is the continuous learning and improvement. Anyhoo, as part of my professional development, I was selected to attend a conference in Chicago. Wooohooo! It's not only about learning new educational tricks or meeting pips, it's also a privilege to explore the Windy City! :)

Well, the conference is mainly about assessment, collaboration, and e-learning. I was like, "Great! Perfectly aligned with my job description and goals!" FYI: This is what's "in" from most educational institutions right now. Any top schools who goes through ministry licenses and/or accreditation particularly brags shows how they plan, document, and execute assessment within their curricula. Anyway, I am not here to lecture how to assess or measure student success, I am here to share a little bit about the great conference and more of the leisure experience :)

So the conference was organized by LiveText - an American-based assessment management web application which basically what my university plans to integrate and embed into our current management system. The conference went on a 3-whole day training, workshops, break-out sessions, and entertainment. The event was jam-packed yet very organized and well executed.

Since it is my first time to visit the US, I need to enjoy and make the most out of this work/vacation trip. I went through visa application which went unsurprisingly fast and smooth. The trip to Chicago from Abu Dhabi was like 16 hours or so (not to mention the plus 4-hour layover in Ireland). Landed at O'Hare airport a day ahead of the scheduled conference, rented a car, and went straight to Michigan.

For those who knows the real me, I'm kind of an OC-freak in my daily life. So what more would you expect if I will make a decision or even going for a trip? Well, some say that this is a gift. You're actually lucky (but will be extremely exhausted) if you will go on a trip with me! I make use of the allocated time properly and conduct research a week (ok, a month) ahead on the best places to go to, bars and restaurants to dine, and yes, even the road maps and transportation system. I don't know about you but I find this productive and interesting.

I consider this trip extra special because it is my first time to celebrate my birthday peacefully and quietly all by myself in a foreign country or should I say on board, over the clouds on top of Pacific Ocean hahaha. Oh well, here's my itinerary for this trip. P.S. shopping and eating time was completely random so you won't see anything about those two here :P But you can ask me for the best restaurants in downtown Chicago, I would be happy to share.

Chicago Itinerary
Schedule	Location	To-do/Occasion
Sat, Jul 19
2:25AM ETD	AUH Airport
12:05PM ETA	ORD Airport
1PM	Chicago	Drive to Detroit
6PMish	Detroit	Dinner with Joseph's Overnight chikahan with Grets!
Sun, Jul 20
10AM	Detroit	Drive to Chicago
3PM	Chicago	Check-in at Hyatt Regency
5PM-7PM	RCDH	Optional: Registration to conference
5PMish	Chicago	Free time Dinner Short trip to Skydeck open until 10PM or 360 Chicago open until 11PM
Mon, Jul 21
7AM-4:45PM	RCDH	Registration Training Session: Experiencing FEM from All Sides Sessions and Workshops Pre-reg Workshop: A Problem-Based Assessment Process Focused on What You Want to Know and What You Need to Know about Your Students’ Learning
5:30PM-7:30PM	Chicago	Monday Evening Event: LiveText Farmer’s Market
Tue, Jul 22
7AM-4:45PM	RCDH	Training Session: Analyze This: The Power of LiveText Analytics Sessions and Workshops Pre-reg Workshop: Developing Effective Rubrics
6:30PM-10PM	Chicago	Tuesday Evening Event: An Evening Out with LiveText at the Field Museum
Wed, Jul 23
7AM-11:30AM	RCDH	Training Session: Evidence of Continuous Improvement: Using e-Portfolios and the ExhibitCenter Breakout Sessions Closing LiveText Brunch Session
12PM-onwards	Chicago	Free time Short trip to Museum of Science and Industry open until 4PM Short trip to Adler Planetarium open until 6PM Short trip to Shedd Aquarium open until 6PM
Thu, Jul 24
Whole day	Chicago	Free time Drive and stroll the city :) Tour stops: Hancock Center, Water Tower, Museum of Contemporary Art, Oak Street Beach, Tribune Tower, Millennium Park (Cloud Gate, The Bean, etc.), Art Institute of Chicago, Auditorium Theatre, Willis Tower (formerly known as Sears Tower), Union Station, Bella Bacino's, Buckingham Fountain and Wrigley Building http://wikitravel.org/en/Along_the_Magnificent_Mile http://wikitravel.org/upload/shared//1/1b/Along_the_Magnificent_Mile_map.png
Fri, Jul 25
Morning-Afternoon	Chicago	Get ready for flying home!
6:35PM ETD	DTW Airport
7:40PM ETA	AUH Airport

You wanna see some pics? Here!

There you go. Looking forward for another US trip soon! Ta-ta!

Unleash Your Artistry

Hello!

Who would have thought that I can paint? No, no, not just random whatever paintings but some nicely, creatively, clean and unusual abstract paintings -- well, people say those words and I'm just trying to blog it down. Heh, yabang!

Anyway, it was all Vlad who initiated this "painting" idea. You see, for the amount of stress we're encountering in our daily lives, we need to have a diversion. Remember the time I bought a tank to watch fish swim when I get home from work? Or our weekend camping and snorkeling? Well, this time, we found a new way to release our stress -- painting!

I didn't know how fun and time-consuming whenever painters create a masterpiece. I am in no way saying I am a painter but I can paint... artistically and beautifully.

Our (Vlad and I) very first painting together. We call it Inquisitivus
Jul 31, 2014, acrylic on 1830mm x 1220mm wood

Mind you, painting isn't a type of hobby that is cheap but the time and effort spent in every stroke I did is worth it. You'll never know, my paintings would become priceless in the near future! Haha

See our gallery here (and don't forget to follow): sandpitart

Toodles!