Two Day School, What I Learned Today

Today I am at Portland State University attending classes for my to better my skills as a trainer. I have never spent any time in down town Portland before much less on a college campus except with Leah and Logan at Cascade. PSU is very interesting. It's kind of mixed into the city. Or maybe it's the city is mixed into it. I'm not sure. I'm staying at a little hotel on campus. I asked about a grocery store last night. The helpful desk clerk pulled out a trusty area map and making indications for Plaid Pantry, Safeway and Starbucks. Abruptly he stopped and quickly added, "of course if you are boycotting Starbucks, there are lots of great coffee shops all up and down Fifth Street." I could tell by his apologetic manner this must be a hot topic around here. I must have looked perplexed because we quickly moved on to exact directions for Safeway.

I walked to class this morning. That's the best way to get around in this neck of the woods. I passed by the food carts, a hodge podge of little shanties at the edge of the parking lot on Fourth Street, the Bartending Academy, and very old churches tucked in among the high rise buildings. At lunch we saw several of Portland's finest on horse back lined up on the side walk with some more on foot all ready for something. As it turned out there was a protest at the Regence building over the lack of Health Care. Woops, apparently that was not the thing to do. I thought this was kind of silly. The police were so obvious the protesters had to have seen them. It was like a parade. They had a chance to leave before the police went around the corner which was a very deliberate stroll after they all gathered up. I don't think I would make a good protester.

I learned that I do know something about the field I work in and there is more to learn. I learned in the afternoon session that being an expert is sometimes relative.

As I walked home I heard a bus fart. Oh, yes it did too! I saw a very old Jaguar with a bike on top. It is a strange looking car to begin with and the bike made it look even stranger. And I learned that just because there is a cross walk, you are better off not to use it unless it also has a red light and all the cars are stopped. The plain cross walks are more like cross runs.

I look foward to tomorrow. I look foward to the walk to class again. I look forward to seeing the different people along the way. I will take my camara and try to capture some of the contrasts that seem to be at every turn.