On Thursday we were honored to have two of Professor Singh’s colleagues join us for drinks on the Hotel Drake patio. William Isasi is Senior Attorney at the General Counsel’s Office of the Department of Commerce, while Marisa Goldstein works in the legal trade division of the World Trade Organization. Both Mr. Isasi and Ms. Goldstein provided valuable insight into the complicated world of international trade disputes and enforcement mechanisms. An especially insightful moment was when Mr. Isasi likened the current legal framework of the WTO to the U.S. constitution in the first years following its drafting because of the precedence that current decisions will make in setting standards for future WTO practice.
Professor Singh and students with William Isasi (Senior Attorney, General Counsel's Office, DoC) and Marisa Goldstein (WTO, legal division)
On Saturday, we celebrated the 4th of July by having a picnic on Lake Leman in Geneva. This was an especially significant day because it was Professor Singh’s first 4th of July as a U.S. citizen. We listened to a fine selection of music from around the world and, thanks to James and Kasia, ate watermelon from Italy.
Professor Singh with fellow U.S. citizens Becky and Zach
Italian watermelon, with pips
On Sunday, the group traveled to Montreux for the annual Jazz Festival. The festival features performances by regional musicians as well as internationally renowned acts such as legendary jazz maestro Herbie Hancock and the charismatic pianist Lang Lang. We also traveled to the Chateau de Chillon, a castle located on the eastern end of Lake Geneva. The oldest parts of the castle are thought to date back to the 11th century. In 1816, Lord Byron made the castle famous with his poem about the imprisoned monk Fancois de Bonivard, titled The Prisonner of Chillon.
waiting for Bus no. 1 to the Chateau de Chillon
A window in the prisoners cell of the Chateau
