The Man Behind The Mascot

I left Wyoming early morning and arrived a few hours later at the Salt Lake City airport with plenty of time for my flight to Washington DC. Hours before I was scheduled to leave, my name was called over the intercom stating that my plane was boarding. Curious, I quickly went to the gate.

When I got there, they told me my transferring flight through Chicago was running late, therefore I would miss the connection and not be able to get to Washington that night. The alternative was to hop on a different flight to Baltimore, about 45 minutes north of Washington.

I took it and was promised my checked luggage would be joining me once I arrived.

Well, that didn't quite happen.

When I met Joe, the marketing director of the Capitals, he probably thought, "Wow, what did we get ourselves into? This guy looks like he can't take care of himself - scruffy facial hair and no luggage, yet carrying a distinct odor that can only be attributed to a week spent on a farm."

Fortunately he didn't put me on the next flight out of town. My bags came the next day and I was able to clean up before heading to my first day on the job.

Life of a Mascot

I then entered the world of Professional Mascots. Most people probably think it's an easy job. All mascots seem to do is show up, dance around for a bit, give some high fives, start the wave and make people laugh.

I quickly found out it's a full-time job. Many make a great living doing it, and they take their role very seriously. When it's not a game day, there is other stuff to do: schedule appearances in the community and private functions, take care of the suit, maintain good physical fitness...

I was surprised to find out how much actually goes into it.

I also realized how much goes on behind-the-scenes at a sporting event. As a member of the audience, you grab your seat and expect to be entertained. That truth is that everything is planned down to the minute: when they will do different promotions, run certain contests, play a particular segment.

I was able to attend the pre-game operations meeting and go through the detailed script for the night which was cool.

Getting A Handle

During the game, I followed Slapshot around as his handler, helping with his straps, getting his jersey on. With all the various parts it can be a little challenging. It was great to see the man in action so I could pick up a few pointers before it would be my turn.

At the end of the game, I was given the opportunity to go onto the ice and use the "Pucker Chucker." It's a gun that shoots pucks up into the crowd.

Turns out I would be the third consecutive victim of the Pucker Chucker.

After they announced the three stars of the game, I started firing. The first two came out no problem, but on the third, the compartment that holds the extra pucks exploded - sending the pucks all over the ice (let's not forget this is in an arena filled with about 17, 000 fans).

Luckily I was well warned beforehand that this might happen, so I didn't feel too embarrassed and simply picked up the pucks and starting throwing them into the crowd.

Ice Ice Baby

Being on the ice is an awesome experience. Looking up into the stands, hoping that you don't slip, fall, and make a fool of yourself, you are suddenly everyones best friend.

Why? Because you got free stuff, and for some reason everyone loves free stuff.

It doesn't matter what the random item may be or even though they know when they get home it will just go into a drawer until it's Secret Santa time again next Christmas - the fans still want it.

Yesterday, Slapshot grew several inches when I suited up and went to the Kids Open Skate. I had a lot of fun and the kids responded well.

It is great to see the different reactions. It reminded me of my days as a Pre-school Teacher at Nature's Childcare in Boise, Idaho - everyone is always happy to see you when you walk in the door.

Afterwards we headed to downtown DC. I had a great time interacting with all the people, playing jokes, goofing around, and just making people smile.

Today is another game day - Next up the Boston Bruins. Let's go Caps!!

-Sean

Week #49 Announced - Mascot

This week I am working in Washington D.C as the Mascot for the Washington Capitals. For those of you that don't know, The Washington Capitals is an NHL team. I will also get to help out with promotions and in-game entertainment (you know, those people that wear tracksuits at games, are always smiling handing out free stuff, making sure everyone is having a good time) I will first learn the ropes of what it's like to be the Capitals Mascot "Slapshot" by helping out during a game as his handler, then I will get a chance to suit up as "Slapshot" at a Kids Open Skate. It should be interesting wearing a cumbersome costume with limited visibility while a mob of kids run at you.

I will also be spending sometime outside the arena in the downtown Washington D.C area interacting with fans and getting the city excited about the team and upcoming playoff run.

Being that I am from Vancouver, I am lucky that they're not playing the Vancouver Canucks.

Go Caps Go!

Save A Horse, Ride Like A Cowboy

I caught a flight to Salt Lake City last Sunday morning, a few hours away from La Barge, Wyoming where I would be working on a ranch with a cowboy named Chet. Chet's wife, Billy, picked me up from the airport. We then drove about an hour to a neighboring town where we met Chet and his friend Cody. I was quickly immersed into the Cowboy lifestyle.

About 15 minutes into our drive, Billy explained, "Sean, we're going to throw you right into it - we're going to a roping today!"

I had no idea what that meant, but I was excited nonetheless. It's not everyday your reality changes so drastically. Only several hours earlier I had woken up before sunrise in a Los Angeles suburb, now I found myself on route to a 'roping' in rural Wyoming.

Learning the Ropes

The roping was organized in teams of three. Each goes out into the enclosed area with about 10 calves. The judge announces one of the calves numbers and the team of three cowboys has to successfully rope the front and back legs of the assigned calf in the shortest time possible. (I won't tell you how I did).

Afterwards we made our way to the ranch where Chet and Billy currently work. The ranch is located in a a beautiful setting - a valley surrounded on both sides by steep rock faced mountains. A green river flows from the nearby mountains through the ranch splitting at one point to create a small island.

For some reason I forgot that it would be cold this time of year in Wyoming, though the thin layer of snow simply added to the picturesque scene. I can imagine the landscape must be equally impressive with the change of season.

It is calving season at the ranch - for the next couple of months everyday they are new arrivals. Chet's main priority is to make sure everything is going smoothly, that there are no complications with the birth, the calf is feeding properly, and each one must be tagged.

It's an around the clock job, Chet would wake up a couple times a night to go check on the heifers (female cows that have yet to give birth for the first time, usually around 2 years old) to make sure that everything was okay.

I didn't realize this until my last night there, so I was able spend my nights sleeping soundly.

Riding Into The Sunset

I enjoyed many things about this week: the beautiful scenery, working with animals, great people, and not to mention good home cooked meals. But most of all, I enjoyed my time on a horse.

My horse for the week was named "Hiccup." He was very gentle, though in his old days he has become a bit lazy and somewhat stubborn. He was the boss, he walked as fast as he wanted, when he wanted, where he wanted... he managed to comply just enough so you couldn't really get mad at him.

One thing that I have always wanted to do is gallop on a horse. Good ol' Hiccup helped me out in small bursts.

I didn't have much control of where we were going, but we were going, and going there fast. The power and sheer strength of horses is something that has always amazed me.

Speaking Cowboy

Chet and Billy found my random calling out "Yeehaw" amusing and I managed to debunk a few myths associated with Cowboy talk.

Unfortunately, Chet never says "yeehaw" or "giddy-up," not even "heyah" when he wants his horse to go faster. I guess I wasn't all that surprised. These sayings have been so ingrained through pop culture that it's hard not to whip them out when you are in such a setting.

I found myself giving ol' Hiccup a good John Wayne style "heyah" when I wanted to gallop and certain no one was in ear shot.

I had a great week as Cowboy. Chet and Billy were a lot of fun and I was able to do many activities I had never done before: go to a roping, visit Wyoming, gallop on a horse, tag calves, sort bulls, ride a tractor to feed cows...

During the summer months I was told it's a different experience. For the most part the cows will graze on government owned undeveloped land in their natural environment and a Cowboy will ride out to meet them and check on them daily.

I hope someday I will be able to return.

-Sean

Pseudo-Update from the Ranch

Ian here, (the project videographer) filling in for Sean. I'm currently in our hometown Vancouver, while he's in the middle of Wyoming working as a Cowboy. When we last parted ways, he said he'd be somewhere remote, and likely not have internet access. Well, he was right.

So instead of waiting until the end of the week for Sean to update, I thought I'd write a pseudo-update, imagining all the things Sean may (or may not) be doing at this very moment.

See! Sean spending his time suiting up in cowboy gear (chaps, spurs, the whole bit) and swinging his leg up and over a saddle. See! Sean pat the horse and tip is hat down low. See! The stalk of wheat protruding from his lips as he gazes out at the cattle and engages in cowboy conversation with his mentor Chet. I imagine they're saying things like, "Yup" "I reckin" and the classic "Uh-huh."

That wasn't so hard right?

Now, I could in fact be wrong.

It could be that the life of a cowboy is no longer about beans from a can, campfires under the stars, and a life lived in heroic solitude. It could be that a cowboy lives in a nice home, with cable TV, and drives around in a big truck instead of taming stallions.

It could be a lot of things. But I guess we'll have to wait until Sean emerges from his digital silence with a real update, won't we?

Until next time,

- Ian

Week #48 Announced - Cowboy

This week I will be working as a Cowboy at a ranch near La Barge, Wyoming. I have no idea what to expect. When I think of a Cowboy, a cliche of images come to mind. The infamous Cowboy hat, boots, jacket, horse, piece of hay in the mouth, accent, riding in open fields for miles and miles.

But all stereotypes aside, what exactly is it that a Cowboy does? Is it possible to be employed as a full-time Cowboy?

I didn't need much information before making the decision to head towards Wyoming - I would be working at a ranch located outside a small town in Wyoming with a Cowboy named Chet. What more did I need?

It was Chet's brother who first contacted me a while back. When I finally spoke to Chet last week, he sounded excited about the idea of me coming. I still don't know what to expect, though he did mention something about calving.

Whatever that means, I am sure that I will soon to find out!

Rachael Ray Interview - Watch Full Version Here

Here's the entire Rachael Ray clip which aired March 6, 2008. It was a lot of fun!

Band Of Brothers: Part II As A Firefighter

I arrived at the station and met with Battalion Chief Dave Messerschmidt and Captain/Paramedic Shannon Stone. Dave had a serious face and asked me, "Sean, what is your objective here?" I went into a rather long winded answer about the project and what I was hoping to get out of my time at the fire station. His serious face made it difficult to gauge his reaction.

After a slight pause, Dave calmly replied, "Well, that's great. My objective at the moment is to get breakfast." We all laughed and I felt at ease.

A tradition the guys have on weekend is to visit a local diner for breakfast. We didn't want to break tradition, so away we went to start the day off with a good meal. Afterwards we got into some training.

I learned about the use of ropes and harnesses that are used in situations when the fire can't be attacked by ladder. I also got the chance to use the Jaws Of Life. That was an awesome experience, the sheer power of that tool is incredible. It cuts through a car like a knife through butter.

All the guys at the department are like family - they spend so much time together and their profession demands they work as a team.

It was great that they quickly accepted both Ian and myself into their group even though we were only there for a short while. I have have always been involved in team sports growing up and in College. The comradeship and interaction among them reminded me of that unique team dynamic - working together to achieve a common goal.

Firefighters are tough (some may even say intimidating). Though I must say these guys are extremely good people. They have integrity and a great sense of what is "right."

As the Battalion Chief said, "Yes, we are like family here, all brothers and sisters. That being said, you don't want to screw with us." Though he added, "You must have a sense of humor to be this profession."

-Sean

Interview On The Rachael Ray Show

My interview and segment from when I was in studio last week will air tomorrow - Thursday, March 6/08. The station and time depends on where you live, though it's Rachael Ray's talk show and not the cooking one. Here is a clip from backstage after the interview.

If You Can't Take The Heat...

The first of my two 24 hour shifts at the Fort Walton Beach Fire Department started off early morning. There are three shifts at the department, A, B, and C. Each one works 24 hours (7am - 7am) and then has 48 hours off. As I mentioned earlier, we stayed with Ryan and Lacey in Pensacola before heading an hour east to Fort Walton Beach, Florida. Ryan was kind enough to give us a ride. Once there, we decided to go out for dinner and drinks with a couple of his friends. One drink turned into several and we ended up having a late night. Not the best idea when I was set to kick off my Firefighter training early the next day. I guess I didn't realize it would be that challenging.

I suited up with all the gear which weighs about 60lbs. After I put on the gas tank, I thought, "Hey, this isn't so heavy." That obvious mis-conception was soon relinquished after I began some the training exercises.

I took out the fire hose, ran with it pressurized for about 100ft. (when I say "ran" I mean exerting myself as if I was in a full out sprint, though with the weight of the hose, all my effort was translating into a full out crawl). I tried the "Denver Drill" which is a technique used to get an unresponsive firefighter out a window to safety.

I dragged a 180lbs dummy, climbed the 75 ft ladder, and simulated entering a building on my knees with the hose and sprayed the interior. It was a really cool experience, minus the fact that I was pretty close to exhaustion and I thought I was going to vomit. All part of the job I guess.

I felt like a wimp. All the firefighters on duty watching as I struggled to gain my breath trying to appear as if I had everything under control. What made the experience even more humbling was the fact that I knew there were taking it easy on me!

I have a lot of respect for firefighters. Not only do they put their lives at risk for others, but the training and physical shape they must maintain is truly impressive.

Afterwards we headed back to station then out for some lunch at a local BBQ hut called Wilbur's Sauce. It was awesome, we ate ribs, chicken, coleslaw... he just kept bringing us food. I am beginning to see some of the perks of being a firefighter.

We got a few calls that afternoon, a couple of vehicle accidents though nothing serious.

As I discovered when I was a Park Ranger in Week 46, you are always "on-call." In the event of an incident they are able to respond quickly and take the appropriate action, though on slow days there can be a lot of downtime spent at the fire house. I enjoyed this aspect of the job especially after the training that morning and we had a fun time hanging out with the guys and hearing all of their stories over the years.

Fighting fires is easy compared to trying to get 8 guys to agree on what they are going to cook for dinner. It was good decision and we all sat down for spaghetti.

Day 2 would bring more training drills and equal indecisiveness on what to eat for dinner, though I will write a post about it in the next couple of days.

-Sean

Week #47 Announced - Firefighter

1:30pm - we're in New York City, a car will take us to the airport at 4:30pm with our plane set to leave for Pensacola, Florida at 7pm. The only problem? We have no idea what we are going to do once we get to Pensacola at 11pm that night. The town of Fort Walton Beach is an hour away and there is no bus that runs that late. No better time than the last minute. We checked out CouchSurfing.com and sent out some requests. Within 15 minutes I received a call from Lacey and Ryan who said although they have two guests (who are biking across the US for charity) already spending the night, they are more than willing to welcome us in. She even said they would pick us up at the airport. (How's that for southern hospitality!)

Off to Fort Walton Beach, FL where I will working as a Firefighter for Week #47. Captain Danny Fureigh from the City of Fort Walton Beach Fire Department emailed me in November and I was scheduled to head down here a few weeks before Christmas. Though, if you recall, we never got there due the incident at the airport in New York.

As with most weeks, I am not exactly sure what to expect going into this next job, though as Captain Fureigh said, "You better be ready we have some cool stuff ready for you!!"

Job Sampling At The Rachael Ray Show

It was a busy day at the Rachael Ray Show on Monday. I visited several different departments at the studio: in the Prep kitchen, post production department, props, web, and finished by helping choose the "snack of the day." Along with me was a director, a camera guy, and a sound guy. I felt like a host, trying out different roles, asking questions of the employees, and reporting on what goes on behind the scenes of the show.

I guess you could say I have experience with hosting: in our web episodes of One Week Job, I sort of act like a host; trying out different jobs, relating my experience and giving my thoughts. Though, in this case, it's different.

There is a sense of familiarity when Ian is behind the camera. After all, he's been my best friend for years. Ever since Elementary school, we would make short videos for fun, or if there was a school project assigned, we would always ask to make a video (so much easier than writing a paper).

It was an interesting experience having a professional crew follow me around at Rachael Ray. I enjoyed it. It felt like what Ian and I would do, though just on a different scale. I even received a compliment: the camera man has been in the business for 15 years and he thought I was a natural.

Who knows, perhaps what we used to do for fun could turn into a viable career?

There is so much organization that goes into a talk show. All of the departments must collaborate in order to bring it together - though each employee must remain focused on their specific part of the wheel in order for it to roll smoothly. I was lucky to experience it from an outsiders' perspective and see how it all comes together.

Everyone that I met seemed to genuinely enjoy their jobs and were more than happy to share their time with me. Thanks a lot!

The interview portion of the show is shot live to tape, so I don't know when my interview and segment will be aired. I'll be sure to post it to the blog when I hear!

-Sean

The "Millennials" Are Coming

Here is a really interesting segment that was broadcast on 60 minutes and was passed on to me. It gives some good insight into my generation. If the video below is slow to load up, here is the link to the story.

New York City, NY - On Route To Week # 47

My job this week doesn't start for a few days and will continue through the weekend. It will be in Fort Walton Beach, Florida, and I will announce it on Thursday. On route, I have stopped in New York City to do an interview with The Rachael Ray Show. Before the interview, I will get to try out all sorts of different jobs around the studio to see what goes on behind the scenes of a television talk show. It's going to be a lot of fun - I only hope that if at some point I find myself in the prep kitchen my past experience as a Baker in Week #34 comes back to me quickly!

-Sean

Aloha & Mahalo Hawaii, Until Next Time!

In order to fully immerse myself in the culture of island life, I appropriately adopted the island pace (well demonstrated by my lack of updates this past week). I am now back on the mainland, so perhaps a bit closer to reality... well as close as I would like to get anyways. My last couple of days at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park were a lot of fun. All the Park Rangers I had the opportunity to work with were very accommodating and more than happy to share their knowledge as we explored the park. It was evident they love what they do. And how couldn't you - the majority of time is spent outside, the people are kind and enjoy being there, and the landscape is incredible with a vastness that is difficult for your eyes to grasp. Ian says that he could see himself as a Park Ranger for a time being in the future, I concur.

I was first emailed by Tammy in October 2007 about the possibility of doing a couple of One Week Jobs in Hawaii. I am happy that she did. I had a great time and am really glad that I went.

Recently, Tammy once again set her sights on pursuing her passions in life. After ignoring them for sometime, she could not be happier she did and credits it to listening to herself. Tammy heard about One Week Job and felt inspired to get involved. One of the reasons she wanted to bring me to Hawaii was that she believes the project symbolizes an important message she wanted Hawaiian youth to hear. As a result, she organized several talks at High Schools in the area.

As the presentations progressed, I felt that I got more comfortable. I thought back to when I was working with Eric Chester, the motivational speaker in Week 44. He had said that the platform is a privilege and you better be giving them something useful. A few times during one of my talks, I thought, "Are they really listening? How can I get through to them? Is all that I am saying trite and just a bunch of rhetoric?"

Sometimes it's difficult to gauge at that age. It's a sea of blank faces staring back at you, though when I finished, many would often come up to meet me and ask more questions. As Tammy said, "when it comes time to make big decisions in their life, if only one in each class remembers your talk and is inspired not to settle, then it was worth it." I sure hope so.

- Sean

Forward Looking On The Trail Of Life

The scenery here at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park is absolutely gorgeous. After being introduced to my boss for the week and getting settled into our housing, I spent Monday with the Eruption Crew. They were great company; a lot of fun and very knowledgeable with many interesting stories to tell and random facts about pretty much everything. We were positioned down at the coastline where lava has covered the roadway as a result of various eruptions since 1984 to 2003. Until June of last year lava was flowing directly into the ocean. Visitors can walk down the road until it meets lava rock. There is even a no parking sign still visible that was caught in the lava.

It's really beautiful to see the dark lava rock stretching to the edge of the ocean then dropping off as a steep cliff in the bright blue water below. Looking back towards the gradually tiered mountainside, it's incredible to see the various lava flows throughout the years and what path they took.

One thing that keeps amazing me is the sheer amount of lava that is around the park. It is literally everywhere. Yesterday, we surveyed a hiking trail. At times, there were lava rocks from previous eruptions as far as the eye could see. Then, in the middle of what seemed like a barren landscape, there was a rain forest of lush vegetation. A sign of what the landscape was like before any of the eruptions.

On the hike yesterday, I accompanied Rob, a Park Ranger at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park since 2001. During lunch in the forest, I asked about his previous time in the Navy and years leading up to being a Park Ranger.

Reflecting back on it, he said there were things that he would have changed if he knew then what he knew now, as I am sure we all would given the gift of foresight, though he offered his perception on our tendency to be critical of past decisions. He said that he views life as if it were a trail. You must keep looking forward down the trail and can only deal with what is in front of you. There is no use thinking about what you should have done or what would have happened if you had chosen another trail. The best you can do is cope with the conditions in front of you and if you are lucky, you may have come well enough prepared.

At this time, it's difficult for me to be looking anywhere else but forward. I am constantly thinking about my upcoming weeks, where I will be working, how I will be getting there, where am I going to stay when I get there. Though wherever this trail leads I am certain that when it is time to look back, I will reflect fondly on all that I have learned, everyone that I have met, and all the wonderful experiences I have had. And of course, I will be excited for the next trail head.

-Sean

Week #46 Announced - Park Ranger

This week I am working as a Park Ranger at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park on the Big Island. I will get to experience the various duties of a Park Ranger, such as park maintenance, conservation, incident relief, and interacting with visitors.

The park was officially founded in 1916, though native Hawaiians have known about it for centuries. They regard the park as a sacred location where the deity Pele lives, the goddess of fire.

Hawaii Volcanoes extends from sea level to 13,677 ft (4,169m) and encompasses the summits and rift zones of two of the world's most active volcanoes, Kilauea and Mauna Loa. Kilauea has been in nearly continuous eruption since 1983; Mauna Loa last erupted in 1984.

The forecast looks great for the week, so we might finally get to experience some sunny Hawaii weather!

-Sean

A Different Perspective - Mauna Kea Summit Tour

Friday morning I gave a presentation to two groups at a local High School about One Week Job. It was the first time I had given a formal presentation about One Week Job. The first group went okay, though the second was 10 times better as I picked up my energy and felt more comfortable with the presentation. The kids responded really well and I was happy to do it. During the second presentation I was keeping an eye on the weather outside as we were slated to make our way up to the summit of Mauna Kea early afternoon. It didn't look very promising, though it was our last opportunity so we went ahead.

As we arrived at the visitor center, located 9,200 ft above sea level, I hopped out of the truck and walked quickly across the the parking lot. Perhaps a little too quickly. I forgot that you must take things slowly up there as the air is much thinner. I got a slight headache, though it was a good warning before ascending to the summit.

While spending about a half hour at the visitor center in order to acclimate, we walked for 2 minutes up hill. It didn't take much to begin breathing heavily. You can really feel the lack of oxygen when exerting yourself.

There was a break in the clouds and the road to the top was open, so our guide Kenyan thought we should get going while we had the chance. So up to the summit we went. Only two hours earlier we were at sea level, now at at 13,796 ft we felt on top of the world. A few of the observatories were open so we got to see close up just how massive these telescopes are. They are quite remarkable and I am really glad that we got the opportunity to experience it first hand.

I learned so much this week. I was humbled on many occasions trying to wrap my mind around the enormity of our Universe and the implications of cause and effect. Definitely makes for some thought provoking discussion. The study of the Universe is an amazing thing; to one astronomer he/she may be seeking to discover the answer of our very existence, how it all came to be, and the inter-connectedness of everything, while another may simply like to study the composition of rocks.

Coming out of this week, two things become very clear to me, one, my view of the Universe has forever been altered, and two... I am without a doubt buying myself a telescope when I get home.

Heading Up The Hill At Last?

Yesterday we were unable to go up to the summit of Mauna Kea because of the weather. Apparently it was white-out conditions at the top. Then today, for the first time since we arrived, the sun made an appearance. It is supposed to be good weather again tomorrow so hopefully we can re-schedule our visit to the observatories. With the clouds lifting today we finally got our first glimpse of the enormous snow capped mountain... not the typical sight you expect to see in Hawaii. We saw some live pictures taken at the top this morning and it looks beautiful!

Today we were back in schools delivering presentations with the Journey Through The Universe program. After which we headed to a pot luck dinner with all the scientists who are involved in the program this week. We met some really nice people and have an open invitation to visit an observatory tomorrow night. Let's hope the weather will hold out this time!

-Sean

My Journey Through The Universe

I was scheduled to speak to a couple of classes on Monday morning about One Week Job, though because of the tropical storm bringing a non-stop torrential down pour throughout the night, all of the schools were closed. I have heard of "snow days" before, though this was my first experience of a "rain day." Although I prepared the night before and felt ready for the presentation, I was a bit nervous. It has been re-scheduled for next week Friday and I have three other presentations this Friday. You would think, great, now I have more time to prepare - let's be honest, I will be equally prepared as I was on Monday morning. I guess this is what keeps life interesting though; stepping outside of our comfort zone and continuing to challenge ourselves.

Yesterday, we visited an Elementary school as this week is the Journey Through The Universe program. Astronomers and local scientists are going into schools through the district educating the kids about the cosmos. It is Hawaiian custom to welcome guests into their school with a chant, so upon our arrival we were welcomed by the 6th grade class singing to us and were presented with flower leis - a very cool experience.

The presentation was about the history of astronomy. The kids responded well, were very attentive, and asked lots of questions. We built telescopes out of cardboard tubing, lenses and some foam. I think I learned just as much as the kids did.

My boss this week, Gary Fujihara, is incredibly intelligent. If you don't follow very closely to what he is saying, you will quickly be lost in his immense vocabulary and vast knowledge... and I am sure that is with him trying to simplify things for us too.

Trying to wrap my head around some of the facts is a difficult undertaking. For example, light travels at the speed of 186,000 miles per second. To get to the edge of the Universe, it would take 14 billion years traveling at the speed of light. Wow, difficult to comprehend. Makes you realize how small we really are. My question is, well suppose you could go to the edge of the Universe, what would you see when you got there?

We also visited the planetarium at 'Imiloa Astronomy Center of Hawaii, currently the only one of its kind in the world, and watched a presentation about space exploration. It gave the impression that there is no reason why we can't inhabit Mars or Space at this time. We have the knowledge, it's just a question of cost. Pretty crazy to think that one day human beings may inhabit planet Mars. Gary tells us they predict the high school students of today will be the astronauts of tomorrow who walk on Mars for the first time. Perhaps we will be vacationing to Mars much sooner than we think.

We are still hoping that the weather will co-operate for our trip to the summit of Mauna Kea today. It's not looking too good though as the rain has not let up for the past two days. Fingers crossed!

-Sean

Week #45 Announced - Astronomer

This week I am in Hilo, Hawaii working as an Astronomer with the Institute For Astronomy at the University of Hawaii. Whenever I think of Hawaii, I tend to daydream with thoughts of white sand beaches, beautiful sunsets, and warm weather usually flooding my mind. Well, it was far from that when we arrived last night as we were welcomed by a thunderous tropical storm.

Apparently it has been raining here for a whole month. I grew up in Vancouver, Canada so I always thought that I had seen my fair share of rainstorms - I was humbled last night. Luckily, we were also welcomed by Tammy and her son Judah, who greeted us with big hugs, smiles and flower leis. Tammy heard about One Week Job a couple of months ago and has been awesome to organize our entire stay here. I will be working closely this week with Gary Fujihara who heads the Science Education & Public Outreach programs at the Institute. I will be accompanying him into various classrooms around the island educating students about the stars, planets and galaxies that make up our Universe and introduce them to a profession they may not have ever considered otherwise.

Also this week, depending if the weather co-operates, I will be visiting Mauna Kea Observatory. Mauna Kea is both a sacred and historical site in the Hawaiian culture and one of the most important land-based astronomy sites in the world with a summit located almost 14, 000 feet above sea level. The location is ideal because of its dark skies, good astronomical seeing, low humidity, clean air, good weather and almost equatorial location.

The accommodation for research astronomers is located below the summit at 9300 feet (2835 meters) above sea level, and a visitor information station is located at 9200 feet (2775 meters). The summit of Mauna Kea is so high that scientists and other visitors are advised to stay at the lower level for 30 minutes to acclimate to atmospheric conditions before reaching the summit.

I will also be speaking at several high schools around the island this week, sharing my experiences with One Week Job and all that I have learned over the last year.

Should be an awesome week!

-Sean