Friday 3 May 2013

We went to the International House of Pancakes for breakfast this morning...certainly brought back childhood memories as there is one in Glendale. Two eggs, bacon or link sausages, hash browns (grated potatoes fried like a pancake) and two buttermilk pancakes for $4.99! Breakfast $13.00 (coffee thermos at the table for all the refills you want!)
Cold and windy this morning about 8C. Warmed up a little after lunch and we took one sweater off! Quite a few students in shorts but as I said to Rob, 9 is great as they were probably at -9 three weeks ago when there was snow on the ground! Spring is very late, some trees are only just starting to bud which looks so pretty while cherry blossoms are gorgeous!
Spent the next five hours walking through Harvard University and Radcliffe. Harvard used to be all men while Radcliffe was the women's college. Amazing place. It is soooo big. The architecture is amazing, old and new! Lots of high school groups checking out if this will be the school for them. Graduations have begun and will be held over the next several weeks, there will be so many of them.
Some interesting statistics: 27,000 students at Harvard in both undergraduate and graduate programs; 2000 in the Freshman class (first year college) out of 34,000 applicants who are in the top10-15% of their high school graduating class; tuition is $36,000 per year or $52,000 for room and board too; if family earns less than $65,000 there is no charge for tuition; 60% of students on financial aid; 2100 teachers; opened in 1636; named after John Harvard who bequeathed 400 books from his library and half of his estate £779; oldest uni in USA; 8 presidents graduated from Harvard and 62 living billionaires also graduated from Harvard!
In the science building they had the first computer developed in 1944, Harvard Mark 1. It was huge.
Today the engineering students had a display showing off projects that they have been working on this term. The technology we saw was amazing and the majority of topics we couldn't even pronounce much less understand.
Interesting intersection near the hotel. It is a divided road. When the light turns green, three lanes can turn left through the intersection.(remember they drive right side of road) Same intersection lets oncoming traffic (three lanes) turn left too when their light turns green. Same for side traffic. They all use the same lanes as intersection has no line markings! Got to be on your toes!
Tonight went to the John Harvard Ale House for dinner where they make their own beers. Rob had a sampler of 5 beers so he could try the range from pale to stout.