Day 1

Okay, so it's been quite a long day already. The beds in our hotel are the Tempur-Pedic type beds that 'adjust' to your body and some other fancy stuff. Their infomercial also shows them dropping a bowling ball on the bed while simultaneously not spilling s glass of wine. I've discovered that the secret to this technology is that the bed manages to be as hard as a rock while absorbing all types of shocks. Perhaps if I weighed more the bed would 'conform' to my body, but for now, its a rather hard surface. What I'm trying to say here is that I slept like crap - waking up at 12, 2:30, 3:40, and lastly around 6 when I gave up trying to sleep anymore.

Before that though, the night I got here was pretty good. I met the guy that I am rooming with while I am in DC, and two of the other MBAEC volunteers. I have to say that I feel completely out of place and have no idea how in the hell I ended up a part of this organization, or how I was selected. There other people I am in the company of:

• A Thunderbird grad with previous work experience working with SME's in Europe and NGO's in DC
• A former 3M employee who worked as an investment banker
• An NYU grad who worked as the vice president of technology for Goldman Sachs who has a second masters from Cornell
• A woman who has worked with the World Bank, a venture firm that specializes in grassroots businesses, a consultant for George Washington University, and was a member of the Peace Corps
• Another T-Bird grad who has worked in Afghanistan, as a legislative intern here in DC, and as an assistant to a US Congressman
• A University of Chicago MBA grad who worked as a consultant and with an engineering startup because of his engineering BA

I met all of these people in the last day and really feel like I have no business being put into the same category as them.

I also found out more about the project I will be working on. It also turns out that Moldova is not on my list of countries anymore, but Uzbekistan is. I will actually be working with 14 different scientific organizations/offices. Among them:

• A molecular structure research center
• Center of Geodynamic research and seismic monitoring geology institute
• Regional experimental center for applied microbiology and bacteriophage research (whatever that is)
• Institute of chemical sciences
• Regional experimental center for thin film research
• Surface modification and characterization research center
• Kavetsky institute of experimental pathology
• Center of Laser technologies of Uzbekistan (fricken lazers!)
• Scientific and technology center of structure imaging: Heat physics department

All of these offices (and the ones I've not mentioned) are going to be losing access to their grant money in the next year. It is my job to offer to help them prepare themselves for finding their own funding through the processess and technology that they have access to. It is assumed that only a few will accept this help, and from there I will focus my efforts on the ones that would like them. Apparently this is only supposed to take about 6 months, and after that I have another project to work on while I am over there. After that project concludes I will start working with the STEP program of the CRFD. STEP stands for Science & Technology Entrpreneuer Program - which works to create innovating science-business communities. I'll work to "Engage with business and industry/Bring innovations into the marketplace/Build strategic partnerships with national and international corporations" I'll be doing this through organizing and leading workshops to teach about ....stuff.

We finished up our day of speakers and stuff at 5 today, and have dinner scheduled for 7 at Buca Di Peppo. Basically eat until you throw up and eat some more since they keep bringing more. I have a feeling I'll probably come home and pass out when we get home tonight. We will have breakfast at 8 again tomorrow and have more people come to speak to us. Some of the people coming in are rock stars of the world they work in and are seriously connected. I'm too lazy to get the list to list them.

We need to meet for dinner in 40 minutes and I am going to try to take care of some other stuff before dinner. I also need to send out some emails before the night is over.

Also, you know you are in DC when the password for the wifi at the hotel is "obama"