Common Information
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This file contains information common to ALL workshops.  You should
also look at the information file for your specific workshop!

RESERVATIONS: You are responsible for making your own arrangements to
attend the TeachScheme! workshop.  We do not make reservations on your
behalf since if you do not honor them, we would be held responsible.

REIMBURSEMENT: For those of you with stipends, remember to preserve
receipts for any amounts you want reimbursed!  We cannot reimburse
amounts without receipts.  There are some minor restrictions on what
you can charge.  Please consult the Web page for more details.

AIR TRAVEL: Houston has two airports, Hobby (HOU) and Bush
Intercontinental (IAH).  One-way rates to the vicinity of Rice are
about $25 from HOU and $40 from IAH by taxi, and about $17 by airport
shuttle.  Both airports are very well served; HOU has many Southwest
flights, while IAH is a major Continental hub.  All other major
airlines also fly to Houston.

TRAVEL SCHEDULE: Here's what we suggest; obviously, tailor this based
on preference, availability, cost, mode of transport, etc.  

  ARRIVAL: Arrive Sunday before the workshop.  Please try to arrive in
  the afternoon, to allow for delayed and missed flights and to relax
  a little.  The workshop starts first thing Monday morning, and
  follows a very intense pace, so you will want to be fresh.

  International travellers should allow time for jetlag and fatigue.

  DEPARTURE: Most of you will need to spend a Saturday night in
  Houston to get the least expensive air tickets.  Even otherwise, you
  may wish to spend a Saturday here.  We recommend the Saturday after
  (rather than before) the workshop.  There are two things you can do
  on Saturday.  There will be extra assisted lab time for those who
  want more practice with course material.  There are also lots of
  cultural attractions in the area (see below).

  If your air fare is going to be the same whether or not you stay
  over Saturday night, then the choice is yours.

ROOM: Rice dorms are not open for summer program attendees.  We
recommend the StudioPLUS at 1303 La Concha Lane, Houston, TX 77054,
telephone: (713) 790-9753.  You can find out more about them at
www.studioplus.com.  They offer a discount for workshop participants
(but be sure to ask for it at the time of reservation!).

FOOD: For the five days of the workshop, we provide continental
breakfast and lunch.  Houston has rich and diverse culinary offerings,
and most restaurants are extremely affordable (especially in
comparison to other large cities).  We will provide you with
restaurant listings; you can find information on-line as well.

TRANSPORT: Houston is a car city.  We strongly urge attendees to
consider renting a car -- this will give you much more flexibility in
where you stay and what you eat.  Once we know which hotels people are 
going to be staying at, we will form car sharing teams.  (We need to
do things in this order because it's pointless creating teams whose
members end up being split across hotels distant from each other.)

ATTRACTIONS: There are several interesting things to do in and near
Houston.  Our most famous stop is the NASA Johnson Space Center, about
20 miles south of town.  There are also numerous museums (including
the outstanding Menil art collection), cultural activities (from the
opera and ballet to blues to alternate rock), and sporting events.
Houston features the Six Flags Astroworld theme park and the Galleria
shopping center.  Within an hour's drive are the beach at Galveston,
the alligators of Brazos Bend State Park, and the San Jacinto Monument
("the first mile of Texas").  See

  http://www.rice.edu/houston/

For those of you with travel funding, remember to preserve receipts
for any amounts you want reimbursed!  We cannot reimburse amounts
without receipts.