And Then We Take A Break and Head To Mall of America @NCTE15...Well Worth the Adventure

 Exhausted, the CWP-Fairfield crew decides to take 20 minutes off after the last session to catch our breath, but rejuvenated, we opted to go on an adventure to the Mall of America. With a reputation for its grandiosity, we knew we couldn't leave Minneapolis without a visit. It was cold, but since most of downtown is built like a gerbil cage, we found tubes between building to meander to the rail. Then it was another 30 minutes to the mall (interestingly right next to the airport).

With a spectacular session together (and two of my own), we simply needed to get away from the literacy folks to eat dinner and see what was up. The rail was convenient and the mall delivered all we expected and then some. There are rollercoasters, waterslides, pirate ships, and carnival games throughout and it felt like shopping meets Disneyland meets middle America meets refugee central. Seriously, the refugee population in this city is tremendous and was very obvious at the mall.

We got Mexican food then meandered for a while (and I nabbed a couple of holiday gifts). The real hit, though, was the spectacle watching. Because it is the holiday the glitz and hoopla is even more tacky than usual. We couldn't help but delight in our choice to go (and wondered why we needed see gobs and gobs of English educators with us).

But now it's Saturday and there's still three more presentations to go. David Eggers is speaking tonight and I've set a goal to meet Laurie Halse Anderson (we shall see if I achieve it.

I still haven't run into Kwame, either, but that time will come...perhaps after Marcelle and I present together at 9.

I'm not sure I'd ever make it to the Mall of America on my own, but was glad to pay it a visit while in conference land. I now can say that I've been and, to be honest, I think that's what it is all about.