After the forty-five minutes of talk we gave our names to the places where we wish to volunteer. Again I go to the translations desk where I worked last time only to find Luis, the organiser is not there. His plane had been delayed from Salt Lake City. I put my name down nevertheless for three sessions and hope to see him there tomorrow. At the translations desk we basically make foreign speakers welcome,and give out head-sets, mainly French, German and Spanish and Italian. I am happy to be of service doing anything, the atmosphere is so alive with love and friendship.
Later downstairs in the Hilton foyer I wait for M who has gone to a longer meeting and I am sitting in a comfy chair with the quiet but excited buzz of conversation all around me. As it is is Easter tomorrow all Minneapolis is either on holiday or celebrating the holiday. I see the lady opposite me and we start to chat. She is about eighty, a former pilot by profession and has just flown in from Boston where she lives now alone, her husband, also a pilot, having translated six years ago. I tell her I am from New Zealand and she regales me with stories of her visit there and tour of both islands about twenty years ago. Of course she loved it and was shown great hospitality by some other Kiwi pilots who seemed to have owned half of Auckland. Such are the people you meet at an ECK Seminar. Now back to my hotel just down the road to have an early night and hopefully a good sleep, finally. But before that I am doing some shopping for milk at Target as the powdered in in the hotel room is undrinkable, some things here are just too processed to consume, it is a totally processed society.
..in the enormous foyer on Marquette St.
Tastefully decorated room at the Inn
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