Let the Games Begin!

It is HOT here in Budapest! Much warmer than I’m used to, but not as hot as Savannah, GA or Houston, TX where Dr. Lynch and JL live, respectively. Today’s high was expected to be 37 C according to the French TV station; for those of you who live in a Fahrenheit world, that is equivalent to body temperature (98.6 F).

The morning began with opening ceremonies at the Madách Theater. Unlike last year, there was no parade of nations. The students were seated near the front of the theater just behind the Hungarian and IChO dignitaries. The mentors and guests, however, had “Bob Uecker” seats – last row of the highest balcony. I was too far away to get any decent pictures, so hopefully some of the students got some nice shots. The program was a nice mixture of Hungarian music and speeches.

After the opening ceremonies, we were off to Eötvös Loránd University for a wonderful reception of traditional Hungarian food (not just goulash). Spicy meats, smoked fish, and delicious deserts were enjoyed by all. There were two chefs “cooking” with liquid nitrogen. One was making garlic bread on a stick (that just seemed too weird) and another was making ice cream by freezing flavored whipped cream with the liquid nitrogen. The students were in high spirits, eagerly talking to students and mentors from other countries. It was great seeing them having all of this fun before the stress of the practical exam on Tuesday.

After the students left for their excursion, the mentors checked out the labs and found them to be well equipped and spacious. One of the labs even overlooks the Danube River. It’s too bad that the students will not have time to enjoy the view as they work on the practical task portion of the exam.

This evening during a welcome thunderstorm, the mentors survived their first jury meeting. This is where the practical problems are debated and clarified. Then each delegation votes on approving or disapproving each of the individual tasks. Tomorrow we will translate the “official English version” into American English so we can be assured that our students understand the procedures.

Another fun day has ended in Budapest. Jó éjszakát!