CHI 2005: Day 1 – Arrival in Portland 04-04-2005

After a bit of an ordeal with flights, today we arrived in “green” Portland Oregon. While only being able to do a limited amount of exploring, it seems that Portland has a lot going on. Pre-conference events have begun and there is certainly an HCI vibe pouring out into the streets.

Flight Madness

Upon arriving at Logan airport this morning for my 7:35 Northwest Airlines flight I was informed of a delay, which in turn meant I would miss my connecting flight. Northwest booked me on an American Airlines flight but I had little time to get from terminal E to terminal B. Just my luck too, I was detained for additional screening at security. Fortunately, I made it to the gate for last call.

The View of Portland

Exploring has been limited mainly to the areas around the Oregon Convention Center, but Portland truly is a “green” city. I cannot believe how clean the streets and trains are. Almost everything says it was made from recycled materials. The train schedules even go as far as to ask you to return the schedule once you are finished.

Our view from the hotel room looks directly upon the convention center. It looks pretty amazing at night with the spires lit up. In many ways it reminds me of I.M. Pei’s glass pyramid at the Louvre in Paris.

On Tap for Day 2

The CHI events for tomorrow mostly include workshops and tutorials, all of which require additional fees–fees that the university would not cover. Therefore, I’m spending most of tomorrow doing some traveling around Portland and checking out the city a little more. The main events of conference run from Tuesday through Thursday so Monday will really be my only free time during my stay.