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We had such a crazy, busy day that I hope I can remember everything we did. First of all, the thing I remember most about today is the warmth of the people of Singapore. Thier sincere hospitality is one of the reasons we felt so confident about making this trip. Even if you have just met someone from Singapore, it feels like you are visiting with old friends.

I will try my best to convey what we did today and how it felt.

We woke up at 5:45 AM on Thursday morning and traveled to the Millenia Institute.

We started our day in the school Quadrangle for the opening of school. In Singapore all 1000 students start thier day by meeting in the Quadrangle to sing the national anthem and school song. It was a moving experience to see all of these exuberant kids singing together with such emotion in thier voices.

The campus itself is open and airy. The grounds are filled with flowers and so is Singapore for that matter. There is also the occasional coconut tree. We often had to step around fallen coconuts on our way to class.

At the end of the opening ceremony the principal introduced our team to the school and we exchanged gifts. After this our students and teachers learned about the Millennia Institute and and went on a tour of the school. It was during our tour of the P.E. facilities that one of our great moments of the day occurred. We stepped into a group dance class, expecting to sit in the back and watch. But when the Millennia students saw us, the whole gym erupted into applause and cheering. They invited our students to join the class and they danced together for quite some time. The sight of our kids dancing on the stage with the students and instructor was something I won't forget. People from Singapore do not let you sit on the sidelines!

After the tour, our students went to different classes and the teachers met with representatives of the three Singapore Schools (Millennia Institute, Temasek Secondary and CHIJ Secondary) to map out a plan for our future exchanges. We also spent sometime working on "Miss Daisy" to get her ready for a full schedule of presentations.

Later, we all met for lunch and conversation in a conference room with our hosts and then attended a few more classes.
Then at 4:00 PM we went across the city to meet with a director of the US-ASEAN Business Council. (no that is not a misspelling, ASEAN is an Acronym). We are visiting with local business leaders in an effort to attract support for our program. We are particularly hoping that US companies that do business in Singapore will see the common interest and help fund future exchanges. I was feeling strangely tongue-tied today but the students picked up the slack and made an incredible presentation to the director. I was very proud.

After this presentation went to an awesome outdoor restaurant where you select your own dishes and cook then at your own table. The food and night air were both fabulous. After dinner we all went bowling and talked about our cultures in between the strikes, spares and gutter balls. It was a blast.

Finally, when hardly anyone could stand, we decided to return to our hotel for some much needed rest.

On Friday we have a robot demonstration for the students of MI and then the big presentation at the Singapore Science Center. I hope to write more details later.