Halloween

It's pumpkin season!



I have to admit, the American firetrucks are quite manly.



Berries on a bush in front of my appartment.

Pilot Mountain

The 1400 ft (430 m) summit of the Pilot Mountain State Park, just a 20min drive north of Winston-Salem, looms like a monk's shorn head from the verdant surrounds.



Yuka and me enjoy a hike arount the 200 ft (60 m) high knob and the scenic views of the upper Piedmont plateau.



On the horizon, downtown Winston-Salem sticks out of the forest.



I haven't seen as many squirrels as in Canada, but they're quite common here, too.

First Day at Work

This is my first day at Advanced Turbine Components (ATC), where I'll work for the next three months.



ATC does a quite fascinating job: they make turbine blades that are used in power plants or aircrafts such as the new Airbus A380, for example.

This afternoon, my new boss, Andy, shows me the plant. I see the whole process, starting with the red-hot rectangular metal blocks that are forged until they roughly have the shape of a blade. Numerous highly sophisticated techniques are then utilized until the product is finished. The blade has to be perfect with respect to shape and material, that's what makes it extremely expensive and complicated to manufacture.



I share my office with several engineers and designers. They are kind people to work with and I feel instantly integrated.