Thursday, August 28, 2008

Visitors from afar


Two weeks ago I entertained three visitors to Ann Arbor who are working on projects related to innovative health interventions in developing countries. These projects are funded by the Gates Foundation via the Global Development Network and I am a formal methodological advisor for them (along with one otherproject in Iran). The visitors are from Kenya - Jacob and Anne - and from Thailand - Worawan. The Kenyans have spent a lot of time in Europe but this was their first visit to the US. Worawan did her Ph.D. in Canada so the U.S. was nothing very new.

The visit was great fun and productive as well. I just wish I could better see this place through their eyes.

Some particularly entertaining bits from the visit:

1. The audible gasp from Anne at the portion size of her meal at Grizzley peak.

2. My colleague David Lam having the Kenyan census data on his laptop and so being able to check on the fine points of its design in real time at the seminar.

3. As predicted by my friend Rebecca Thornton, the visitors were much more interested in spending their free time on shopping than on seeing the Henry Ford museum.