Here's the more detailed version:
I've never been to Oxford before, but it's as picturesque as you might imagine: grand old buildings, cobblestone sidewalks, pubs tucked away in quiet alleys. The weather is cool and the beer is warm (though I've developed a taste for cider somehow after popping into the Lamb & Flag, which has more than a few local labels on tap).
TED itself--to this point--has been centered at Keble College, just north of the town. Oxford is composed of a series of colleges, each with its own character and history, but the charm is universal.
Each comes with its own chapel as well, outfitted with the usual decor.
Saturday night, after all the Fellows and Senior Fellows arrived, TED hosted a welcome dinner at Jamie's. Didn't know it until we got there, but it's one of Jamie Oliver's restaurants. The food wasn't anything special, but Oliver is notable for having won the TED Prize last year for his work on children's school menus. It's definitely worth a watch, as you wouldn't believe how much sugar we're packing into the next generation.
The Fellows are new at each TED event, but the Senior Fellows return over the course of a few years. Nice having the chance to catch up with a few folks I met last November at TED India and hearing about how their projects have progressed.
Back at Keble the next morning, we were treated to English breakfast in the Harry Potter-style dining hall. Actually, "treated" may not be the right word as it seems a plate full of sausages, rashers, eggs and beans is standard every morning. I'm usually not much of a breakfast person, but I love this. With tea, of course.
As I mentioned, Sunday was filled with Fellows workshops. From nine until noon, TED co-host Rives and I worked with the group to polish them up (while many of the Fellows are accustomed to the limelight, a few have never been on stage or at a conference like this before--you might imagine the pressure when you're a 20-something who's just been flow in from Kenya and you need to describe your biotechnology endeavor that recycles organic waste as a means of energy production--in four minutes). In the afternoon, we ran through a full rehearsal, all 22 of them. There was the good, the bad and the ugly, but that's what rehearsal's for.
As in India, the Fellows are open to--even hungry for--any kind of input that will make them more effective communicators. For many, TED is a rare opportunity to share what they're doing and make connections with people who can offer support or make introductions.
As usual, these long days end with mixing and mixed drinks, this one held at Exeter College. In the background is the library where JRR Tolkien studied while at Oxford.
Then it was World Cup time. I set myself up to provide last-minute help to anyone who wanted it and got about half a dozen interested parties--everything from story advice to design help. Oh, and I was in it for Spain, so it was a good night.
And then it was Monday morning. Showtime. Great talks, all of them. From recycling banana waste as a means to extract heavy metals from drinking water to fighting censorship in Yemen with new web tools to the experiences of women who live in war zones to instillation pieces commemorating civilian Iraqi casualties to open electronics manufacturing to the story of an embedded photographer in Afghanistan who's using social media to bring the war home in the same way that television did during Vietnam four decades ago--the breadth and depth of these individual's experiences inspires, saddens, awes and humbles. For the complete list of speakers and topics, look here.
I shot video of two of the best as well, but Oxford's connection is slow, so I won't be able to upload those until I return. Check back next Sunday or so.
In the afternoon, as thousands of attendees arrived for the main conference, TED set up for the welcoming party. Life-size chess boards, flamingos, Red Queen playing cards. Is this Alice in Wonderland?
Indeed.
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