The Swedish Embassy in Washington DC invited dad to be at their Nobel Day, held the week before the Stockholm week. The exact day wasn't known until the visit to the White House cleared; it turned out to be Dec 2, 2009.
We flew off on the Monday, and got a taxi to the hotel. We stayed at the Four Seasons, in Georgetown, apparantly, the best hotel in the city. Slept well but had to be up early for the bus to the embassy. The program for the day was: a symposium featuring all the American Nobel winners talking a bit about their work, and taking questions, followed by a light lunch, followed by a visit to the White House, followed in the evening by a black tie dinner hosted by the Swedish ambassador.
Breakfast at the hotel was very nice, but also very expensive. Can you say $60? But dad ate ok, and that's the important part. On the bus by 8am-ish. Drove to the Swedish embassy where we hob-nobbed a bit before the symposium. I had talked to Alan Leshner on the phone beforehand to figure out how best to handle things with dad. I had suggested that I would be able to speak on his behalf, so on the stage was Dr. Leshner, the moderator, all the laureates present, and me. I was last to speak, and it seemed to go well, ending with laughter and applause. I had written a piece to read, but as I went last, I was able to hear how the others presented their work, so although the basis of what I said was in what I wrote, it was off the cuff, mostly.
After the symposium, we had a short lunch, and then it was off to the White House. We got checked in with badges, and then waited in the Roosevelt Room, adjoining the Oval Office. Obama was running late, so we were there maybe 1/2 hr beyond the appointed time. While we were lined up, waiting, I had a chat with Tom Stietz (chemistry). He and his wife are a brainy couple -- his wife is Joan Steitz, who is very accomplished in her own right, winning the National Medal of Science.
When the time came, they lined us up in a certain order. Medicine, then chemistry, then dad, then economics. Each laureate was introduced to the President separately, by the Dr. Holden, the special advisor to the president on technology, then the family member was introduced, then a photo was taken. After all had been through, the president addressed us as a group, saying things about how proud he was, and the country was, and that science education needed to be given full attention, etc. He mixed in some humerous anecdotes too, like saying that his kids were excited that he was meeting the Nobel Laureates ... "but me getting the Nobel Peace Prize, they were not so excited about". He seemed quite at ease despite his plans to give the Afganistan address in the evening. I was thinking that since he'd made his decision, no sense worrying about it. In any case, he's a charismatic guy, for sure.
After that brief audience, we had a reception with other guests at the Blair House. Uncle Timothy and Aunty May were there; I called him yesterday about it. They stayed for not too long before going. We had to stay until the official end, perhaps 45 mins afterwards. I had a nice chat with Dr. Szostak (medicine) about biotech startups.
And then we got to go back to the hotel for a rest. Dad took a long nap; I took a shorter one. Then it was time to get ready for the dinner. Got Dad dressed, and we went down to the lobby. We were first there, and Larilyn from the Embassy saw us and of course said how good we looked, and she took a picture of us (the only picture taken of the day -- I forgot my camera for the morning session, and then for the evening session, no other pictures were being taken, so I felt it was not good protocol). The Ambassador's house is very grand. First up, more hob-nobbing, then dinner. Talked to various people, and Dad independently talked to people to. It's interesting to watch others try to decipher what Dad means. Usually, they just make an assumption based on what they'd said to Dad, and things go ok. Although the protocol is to separate spouses so they don't sit together, they of course, put me and Dad together. I sat next to Dr Susan Blumenthal, an accomplished woman -- 20 years as deputy surgeon general, a rear-admiral, and director of various other agencies. Her husband is the congressman who authored the telecommunications deregulation bill, opening up competition and helping further the installation of fiber networks. Her husband also chairs an Alzheimer's committee in congress and asked if we would be interested in appearing before the committee to describe how the disease affects us. She wants to get more visibility for the disease, and therefore to get more funding for research.
It's very interesting to meet all these high-powered people. On the one hand, they're ordinary people like everyone, and seem quite down-to-earth, but on the other hand, they're very successful people with lots of connections to power, if not themselves powerful.
On the other side of Dad was Dr. Kristina Nordquist, who works for the Nobel Museum, who we'll see again on Sunday. I observed to her that I didn't know names or professions of most of the people I talked to, and she correctly observed back that that didn't really matter -- one is just having an interesting personal interaction where name/rank don't mean anything. And it's true.
And, it was good in a couple of other ways too. A dry-run of sorts to see how Dad copes (and he did fine), and a way to meet the other laureates so we're not total strangers when we see them again in Stockholm. All of them seem very nice.
Today was a fine, fine day weather wise too. Temps into the 60s, with perfectly clear skies. Tomorrow will be rainy. We're meeting Uncle Timothy for lunch.
Oh, we also met Steve Chu, the energy secretary. We spoke to him briefly, but he also gave a post-dinner speech, using some old warhorse material (a story about a Nobel Prize winner who, tiring of giving the same old speech over and over again, decided to let his driver give the speech. The driver was a smart guy, and pulled off the speech, but then in the Q&A session, a question came up that seemed to put into question the whole work of the Nobel Prize winner. The driver thought fast: he said "oh, that question is so simple that even my driver, sitting in the back row, can answer it"). Anyway, he also related that the Stockholm week is very crazy, and finished with another story full of funny asides -- supposedly, the protocol at the banquet is such that at the beginning, the king stands up, and makes a toast to Alfred Nobel. Everyone else stands up too. Then everyone sit down must not rise again until the king has risen. The king does not rise for 3 hrs. (Here, Steve interjected that for the older male crowd, that is a problem!). He then related that Tycho Brache is reputed to have died from his bladder bursting and the subsequent infection while observing this protocol. And he finished by saying "I just have one thing to say to the Nobel Laureates: Good Luck!". It was a pretty funny speech.
This protocol seems not to be 100% followed though -- another table mate, Peter Agre (chemistry 2003), said that he got up. So should be ok with Dad.
We flew off on the Monday, and got a taxi to the hotel. We stayed at the Four Seasons, in Georgetown, apparantly, the best hotel in the city. Slept well but had to be up early for the bus to the embassy. The program for the day was: a symposium featuring all the American Nobel winners talking a bit about their work, and taking questions, followed by a light lunch, followed by a visit to the White House, followed in the evening by a black tie dinner hosted by the Swedish ambassador.
Breakfast at the hotel was very nice, but also very expensive. Can you say $60? But dad ate ok, and that's the important part. On the bus by 8am-ish. Drove to the Swedish embassy where we hob-nobbed a bit before the symposium. I had talked to Alan Leshner on the phone beforehand to figure out how best to handle things with dad. I had suggested that I would be able to speak on his behalf, so on the stage was Dr. Leshner, the moderator, all the laureates present, and me. I was last to speak, and it seemed to go well, ending with laughter and applause. I had written a piece to read, but as I went last, I was able to hear how the others presented their work, so although the basis of what I said was in what I wrote, it was off the cuff, mostly.
After the symposium, we had a short lunch, and then it was off to the White House. We got checked in with badges, and then waited in the Roosevelt Room, adjoining the Oval Office. Obama was running late, so we were there maybe 1/2 hr beyond the appointed time. While we were lined up, waiting, I had a chat with Tom Stietz (chemistry). He and his wife are a brainy couple -- his wife is Joan Steitz, who is very accomplished in her own right, winning the National Medal of Science.
When the time came, they lined us up in a certain order. Medicine, then chemistry, then dad, then economics. Each laureate was introduced to the President separately, by the Dr. Holden, the special advisor to the president on technology, then the family member was introduced, then a photo was taken. After all had been through, the president addressed us as a group, saying things about how proud he was, and the country was, and that science education needed to be given full attention, etc. He mixed in some humerous anecdotes too, like saying that his kids were excited that he was meeting the Nobel Laureates ... "but me getting the Nobel Peace Prize, they were not so excited about". He seemed quite at ease despite his plans to give the Afganistan address in the evening. I was thinking that since he'd made his decision, no sense worrying about it. In any case, he's a charismatic guy, for sure.
After that brief audience, we had a reception with other guests at the Blair House. Uncle Timothy and Aunty May were there; I called him yesterday about it. They stayed for not too long before going. We had to stay until the official end, perhaps 45 mins afterwards. I had a nice chat with Dr. Szostak (medicine) about biotech startups.
And then we got to go back to the hotel for a rest. Dad took a long nap; I took a shorter one. Then it was time to get ready for the dinner. Got Dad dressed, and we went down to the lobby. We were first there, and Larilyn from the Embassy saw us and of course said how good we looked, and she took a picture of us (the only picture taken of the day -- I forgot my camera for the morning session, and then for the evening session, no other pictures were being taken, so I felt it was not good protocol). The Ambassador's house is very grand. First up, more hob-nobbing, then dinner. Talked to various people, and Dad independently talked to people to. It's interesting to watch others try to decipher what Dad means. Usually, they just make an assumption based on what they'd said to Dad, and things go ok. Although the protocol is to separate spouses so they don't sit together, they of course, put me and Dad together. I sat next to Dr Susan Blumenthal, an accomplished woman -- 20 years as deputy surgeon general, a rear-admiral, and director of various other agencies. Her husband is the congressman who authored the telecommunications deregulation bill, opening up competition and helping further the installation of fiber networks. Her husband also chairs an Alzheimer's committee in congress and asked if we would be interested in appearing before the committee to describe how the disease affects us. She wants to get more visibility for the disease, and therefore to get more funding for research.
It's very interesting to meet all these high-powered people. On the one hand, they're ordinary people like everyone, and seem quite down-to-earth, but on the other hand, they're very successful people with lots of connections to power, if not themselves powerful.
On the other side of Dad was Dr. Kristina Nordquist, who works for the Nobel Museum, who we'll see again on Sunday. I observed to her that I didn't know names or professions of most of the people I talked to, and she correctly observed back that that didn't really matter -- one is just having an interesting personal interaction where name/rank don't mean anything. And it's true.
And, it was good in a couple of other ways too. A dry-run of sorts to see how Dad copes (and he did fine), and a way to meet the other laureates so we're not total strangers when we see them again in Stockholm. All of them seem very nice.
Today was a fine, fine day weather wise too. Temps into the 60s, with perfectly clear skies. Tomorrow will be rainy. We're meeting Uncle Timothy for lunch.
Oh, we also met Steve Chu, the energy secretary. We spoke to him briefly, but he also gave a post-dinner speech, using some old warhorse material (a story about a Nobel Prize winner who, tiring of giving the same old speech over and over again, decided to let his driver give the speech. The driver was a smart guy, and pulled off the speech, but then in the Q&A session, a question came up that seemed to put into question the whole work of the Nobel Prize winner. The driver thought fast: he said "oh, that question is so simple that even my driver, sitting in the back row, can answer it"). Anyway, he also related that the Stockholm week is very crazy, and finished with another story full of funny asides -- supposedly, the protocol at the banquet is such that at the beginning, the king stands up, and makes a toast to Alfred Nobel. Everyone else stands up too. Then everyone sit down must not rise again until the king has risen. The king does not rise for 3 hrs. (Here, Steve interjected that for the older male crowd, that is a problem!). He then related that Tycho Brache is reputed to have died from his bladder bursting and the subsequent infection while observing this protocol. And he finished by saying "I just have one thing to say to the Nobel Laureates: Good Luck!". It was a pretty funny speech.
This protocol seems not to be 100% followed though -- another table mate, Peter Agre (chemistry 2003), said that he got up. So should be ok with Dad.
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