My day began in Salt Lake City with a quick trip to Temple Square, where all of the Mormon stuff is. I had 30 minutes before heading to the airport, and spent half of it talking with missionaries patrolling the square. They all wear badges that say what country they come from (I met ones from Philippines, South Korea, Japan, and Denmark. They told me about what their mission is like (they don't get to go to Utah Jazz games but want to, and they only get one day off a week during which they're supposed to do grocery shopping etc, and therefore they don't go hiking or any other tourist-like activities). I asked about plural marriage knowing the answer (it's not condoned by LDS), but wanted to see what they said anyways.
The square puts on a positive image of Mormonism. They're clearly a religion that wants people to like them.
My cab drivers today:
- Iraqi who had been in salt lake for 7 years
- Guy from Burundi who had spent 15 years in a refugee camp
- Guy from Sudan who had been in a refugee camp for 10 years in Uganda. He said the main reason he wanted to come to America (vs Australia or Canada) was opportunity, and that the main thing he wanted for his kids is education. I told him about my work in Idaho - writing a case study on Khan Academy - and he was excited his kids could get Khan for free.
After a few interviews with teachers and a student focus group, we had dinner with our client - the head honchos of the Albertson Foundation. Very nice folks and very knowledgeable about the change they're trying to make in Idaho.
And of course the same old bug hit me: medium-sized cities! Boise had a vibrant downtown with great restaurants and beer. It feels a lot like Grand Rapids, but just a tad bigger. This is the kind of place I want to live in eventually. I'd have room to maneuver, and to build relationships. It's my kind of place.
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