Day One Miami

Left Madawaska at 3:30 a.m. to get to the Presque Isle airport for 5 a.m. (No moose sightings on the way!) Flights were smooth and I slept most of the way. I really enjoyed landing in Washington DC and saw many of the monuments from a great vantage point. A driver was waiting for me at Miami International, but my suitcase never arrived. It has been tracked and will be delivered between now and 8 a.m. Improvise for tonight!

I've met the other 24 teachers, the Toyota representatives, and the staff from IIE (Institute of International Education), who are organizing this trip on behalf of Toyota. We took part in a simulation this afternoon on the Japanese kaizen philosophy of constant improvement that Toyota espouses for its management and operations: the Toyota Production System (TPS). We "built" model cars using the typical assembly line method and repeated the activity using the TPS. Pretty interesting results.

Dinner tonight had a Cuban flair: Cuban chicken, carmelized plantains, black rice/beans, and tres leches bread pudding with cinnamon or pistachio creme brule. The waiter had everyone try fried plantains. They were very good, like a think, crisp french fry or potato chip, only made with plantains. A plantain is like a large green banana, but more starchy, harder, and is eaten as a vegetable rather than a fruit.


We will have a lecture by Professor Dunne in the morning then we are off to visit the Everglades.

A porter was just at the door; my suitcase has arrived!