Day 3 – Monday, December 6th, 2004
Willem presenting our site
at Oracle OpenWorldAccording to the schedule, students were having workshops at nine sharp. For nineteen and under, we had a Macromedia Flash workshop by Mike Downey, who works for Macromedia and what’s special is that he’s been involved in the development of Flash. So, it’s said that we learned from the person who created it. We learned the new feature in the latest Flash MX – creating a video jukebox. That says, we actually created a bar of playlist and a box in the right to display the video. Pretty much cool, indeed.
Did I say that the breakfast was so great?
The ThinkQuest Pavilion!After workshop we’re heading for site presentation at the ThinkQuest Pavilion at Oracle OpenWorld. The Pavilion was a spacious booth equipped with several PCs connected to the Internet where ThinkQuest winners can show their sites to OpenWorld conference-goers. We had great time presenting our site. 
The Pavilion's signageWe were given a pack of TQ flyers to give away to people and invite them to our booth. It was amazing, the chance to speak about what you have proudly accomplished. There were researchers from Stanford University who were very engaged with us. The common questions they asked were how the team was formed and how we worked together inspite of the differences and distance, as well as why we chosen the topic. We spent about an hour doing the presentation. The Moscone West, our building, is a rather new addition to the Moscone Convention Center and it was large and modern.
The ThinkTank - and the bean bags!Speaking of OpenWorld, they had bean bags everywhere – including in our ThinkTank and Pavilion. In the ThinkTank, the bean bags can be found scattered and piled up together – yes, piled up! Which made a very good spot for ‘run, jump and fall free’ procession!
People gathered in the ThinkTank
to meet and surf the net.Next, we had lunch in the same place as breakfast – the Garden Terrace – just on the second level of the hotel. This is where I talked with one parent of 15 and Under’s First Place winner. I can’t remember his name, but he was so kind and he said he’s a Moroccan. His son’s name is Joey. They live in the east coast, but again, I couldn’t assure if it’s Philadelphia or some other place. Bad memory. I love talking to foreign people and how they respond so kindly and enthusiastically.
We're going to jail
People lining to
get aboard the ferry.After lunch we prepared for a great tour – the Alcatraz Island. We were given a gift card valued at $25 each for dinner. The schedule was from 1.00pm to undefined time, which means we’re free on when to come back to the hotel. The ThinkQuest bus would take us to the Marriott at 5pm, it is our choice to get aboard that or take other forms of transportations.
Fisherman's WharfWe departed to the piers at Fisherman’s Wharf, where we’ll get aboard a ferry to the island. Before setting off to the island, we listened to a briefing by one of the Blue & Gold Fleet staffs. We took our tickets and got aboard the ferry. Everybody seemed to get excited to stand on the most top of the boat and enjoyed the rather chilling breeze. I had that one too, and it was fun.
The famous "Broadway"The trip to the island just took about 10 or 15 minutes. The Alcatraz, or “The Rock”, is not too big. It is enough to house several big buildings, anyway. When we got off the pier on the tiny island, we went straight to another briefing, then to a video introduction on Alcatraz’s history. Soon, we were spreading around, and eventually heading for the actual cellhouse. Oh, I met that day’s visiting author, Jolene Babyak, who wrote a book on her experiences and views on the island when she lived in that island several decades ago. Again, I couldn’t remember the book’s title.
The city, viewed from AlcatrazI eventually met “The Broadway”. It’s the term used by the former prisoners on the narrow passage between the two blocks housing the cells. If you’ve watched “The Rock” you’ll know. I guess I entered the cellhouse through an odd entrance that day, because once I went inside, I saw people already wearing the headphones for the audio tour provided. I think I should have entered on the other way around, where I could line up to have the headphones. But I decided not to wear it. I goggled around with my camera, and once I got out of the Administration Building to the yard where the lighthouse and ruins of the Commandant’s House and the Lighthouse Keeper’s House remained. The wind was so strong in that site, but from here I could see the city from distance and it was beautiful. From the Alcatraz also I could see the Golden Gate Bridge but not in the reddish orange as it’s supposed to be.
I was actually separated from my dad, but finally we met and decided to leave the island by ferry. We had some snacks and then scoured the nearby shops to purchase souvenirs. Then, we decided to take the early 5pm bus back to the hotel. We used one of the gift cards for souvenirs and had dinner at our own expense. That officially ended the day.