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2004 New Year Holiday in Aruba


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My brother and I visited the studios of ECA.  Richard Jacobs (left) was the camera man who travelled to Maryland
to produce a documentary on my work at NASA (with Jan Poets), and Rafael (on the right) is an editor at the studio.
In November 2003, Pete held a seminar on the use of video editing tools for these two gentlemen.


I visited Colegio Arubano, my high school to give talks to the students there.  It was most enjoyable interacting
and talking with them.  The topic of my talk is general astronomy and the Hubble Space Telescope.


2004 will be a special year for Aruba's Carnival, as it will be our 50th.  As a result, the Carnival
preparations are in high gear.  While on the island, I recieved the honor of crowning the Princess of
Colegio Arubano (my high school)  for the Carnival in Aruba.  From left to right,
the 2004 Princess (Silea Bos), the first runner-up (Cookie Croes), and the former Princess on the right.
Pictures are from the coolaruba.com site by Jason Inesia (click on "cool album" and then
"Queen Election of Colegio Arubano" when you get there).


Agnes and I had a really good time at the coronation. 
We were seated in the VIP section on stage.


For 2004, the New India Assurance company in Aruba honored me by putting me on their 2004 calendar.
The image is a painting by Charitto Chavez.  It is produced from a photograph.  I will be featured in March.


The cover of the calendar.  It is a composite of the twelve persons featured
within.  The members are public figures from Aruba, including my niece Janice
Kock who is the world salsa champion of 2002 (her painting is right next to mine on the front),
and Jan Poets (right above me), who is a well-known reporter.


I was interviewed at the Aruban NBC affiliate (ATV) by my former classmate Dilma Arends. 
We also took a tour of the studio, and here are Stephanie and Christopher behind the news desk.


Auntie Amparo let us use a house she is house-sitting for a friend.  It has this really nice
pool with bubble jets.


Here I am sitting in the bubble pool.  Ahhh.


Our final parting picture.  We all left on the same day : January 10, 2004.


We all arrived on the East Coast of the United States to frigid temperatures.
It was only 10F at BWI!  A reduction in temperature of 75 degrees.  Ouch!

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