January 2011 ending

I had the great opportunity to travel to the Rotary Club of Leytonstone, near my host club. Not only were the Rotarians very friendly, but treated myself and the other two Rotarian scholars like kings and queens!

We each spoke about why we are here and where we will be, giving the Rotarians an opportunity to ask questions about us.

Although I haven't had much luck getting other London Rotaries interested in letting me come speak...I may contact some Rotarians in Oxford for a visit and presentation. :)

I've also finally chosen a dissertation topic!

Brazil vs. China: the Future Non-Western order? Very interesting.

I also got a few things from the Leytonstone Rotary-

A flag to take back to my Host club in Canton Rotary!




And my very first London Rotary pin

Neglect...and New Years.

I am ashamed I have neglected my blogging duties this past month.  It seems that school was much more demanding that I had imagined (a mistake on my part), and I didn't plan my time correctly in order to make sure that I got things accomplished.

So...with the new year, will come new resolutions. Focused, less stressed, more productive...and making time to do nothing. This is just as important.

As for Rotary, I hope I can finally dedicate some time to Rotaract. But more importantly, get some responses to the Rotary clubs in London! I've sent out quite alot of e-mails and gotten nothing in return. I've have one speech planned in January, but hopefully I will be able to get more upon the New Year.

I spoke to my host club in Canton, Ga. the first week I returned home. It was a short and sweet report, and I got alot of questions at the end. Most Rotarians were more interested in seeing the picture of my host club in London than they were in hearing everything I've done since I've been there.

One gentleman came to me and said that he'd been to London before. "The Muslims get a pension from the government just for being Muslim." I wasn't really aware of this type of occurrence in London, but I'm definitely going to check into it. I tried to overlook the error of associating the word Muslim with the word Middle East, since Muslim is merely a religion, not an ethnicity.

I also found out that my host club in the U.S. has received three exchange students from Wales, UK. Very excited to see my club interacting with RI. They are very involved with student exchange, Boys and Girls Clubs, Habitat for Humanity, and remain very involved as well.

For now, I'm in the process of finishing my last paper of the first semester, getting my RI report off to the north and packing to come home. I look forward to the new year in London, and with Rotary.

Sorry I don't have pictures this time, but next time I promise much more!

Feliz ano novo, Happy New Year

Snail Mail

I never get mail..but yesterday I got TWO letters in the mail from Barkingside Rotary: 1. David and Jane Smith, a very sweet couple who took me in at the last minute when my host couldn't, mailed me a picture of the group while we were in Eastbourne. I expressed I'd like a picture and they got me one!!


2. The President, Alan Coleman, sent me the November Bulletin, with our picture on the front, as well as a blurb about me. Emails are easy, and text messages/phone calls are ok, but SNAIL mail is always the best!

Last night I went to York Gate to meet some of the London city club presidents. I was quite surprised at the amount of people that attended. There were a few presentations from various local charities, and a few introductions to future members/president elects. I enjoyed meeting some of the presidents and hope and trust that I'll be speaking at all of their clubs in the near future.


Last but not least, I'll be attending Rotaract's christmas party in a few weeks and I'll be speaking to the audience, sharing a bit about myself with the "folks." I look forward to all of it - school is kicking in so I'm signing out! au revoir!

I'm so busy, my wine glasses are the only clean dishes...

...it's true. I've neglected, or rather put-off, my dirty dishes all week. (Please note the one and only picture of my current situation, coffee in a wine glass.) I don't know how much longer I can go. This morning, having coffee from a wine glass made me feel a bit creative. But more so, I felt a like I was living large...ironically enough, I wasn't living well enough to have washed my dirty coffee cups.

School has been SO busy. I sometimes forget (until this week) that I'm in a MA program, and I'll actually have to write papers, do research and show something for myself. School has been going very well, I've been making many friends (none of whom are from the UK) to keep me social while walking to and from class.

I've attended my second Rotaract meeting last night at the BBar in Victoria Station (an overly-priced, too small restaurant that offers a variety of exported drinks and food.) They meet twice a month, and last night the Westminster Rotaract members had the privilege of hearing myself and two other ambassadorial scholars discuss our origins and the nature of the Ambassadorial scholarship.

I must say, in the most unbiased way, I encouraged each of the members to attend a Rotary meeting and get to know some of the local Rotarians. I was surprised most of them had not done so already.

Another thing I must address that was an err on my part from the last entry, thanks to Mr. Alan Coleman, Eastbourn is NOT in fact East-bound, but rather directly below London. So officially, my trip to the Rotary conference was North-bound to Eastbourne...doesn't make much sense, because almost every place, area, location, street name, has a reasoning behind it (unlike Atlanta, where every corner is named Peachtree.)

Last week, I went to Rotary of Barkingside's meeting because David Wynne-Fitzgerald (or "Fitz" as I later found out) spoke about life in law. I met a few new visitors, said hello to the faith 12-15 that usually attend, and hugged my host, Diane Wynne-Fitzgerald.

Next week, I'll be speaking about my Chrisitan-southern background to Gant's Hill Rotary club. I'm very excited, since I met most of the members at the conference. They've promised me an authentic Indian cuisine, and I'm hoping to not be disappointed.

I apologize for the lack of aesthetics in this post, but truly my life has been spent in the Library or kitchen, and sometimes asleep in bed, for the past few weeks.

I hope to take other pictures as I plan on speaking three more times before December. Wish me luck!

East-bound to Eastbourne

School has really snuck up to me these past few weeks, leaving me very little time for my "pleasure" work, like blogging, journaling, Google-reading and yoga. Things I had so so much time mere weeks ago are things that I now have to pencil in my journal.

Since I've began my uni here, I feel that I've already learned so many things. Sure, I've been reading political commentaries and historical frameworks for Foreign Policies, but it's been eye-opening none-the-less. I usually only have school Monday (twice a month) through Wednesday. During these days, I take my c2 bus to Oxford Circus, show up, listen and take notes in class, then run out before oxford circus becomes - well - a circus. Rightly so. People pile into the tubes and cram their hot, sweaty bodies down steaming tile corridors, pushing with a smile, just to get only a few inches ahead of you..sound familiar to you Atlanta commuters?

At any rate, I truly hope that the outcomes my mind discovers and the things I've discovered about others, but mainly about myself, aren't easily forgotten. I think the biggest part that has added to my international experience are my flatmates. Let me briefly list off to you the nations represented in the picture: Japan, Rwanda, Uganda, Germany, France, UK, Italy (others not listed: Iran and India). This paints a cultured picture to you of how international my life has been going.]]
We do a cultured snack/dinner once a week where each person volunteers to cook a small portion of something that represents their hometown.

On to the East side of things...
I did go on the annual London Rotary Conference on the stony beaches of the East UK. What a fun time I had just meeting people, hanging with my host club, Rotary of Barkingside, and hanging with the other scholars.

We went to a Gala dance on Saturday with a band, balloons and partying. See pics below

My awesome Pres and Wife from Barkingside Rotary!




Climbing near the cliffs beside the water...one of the most beautiful moments I have been privileged to experience.




My table at the Gala..this is Gant's Hill club. I'll be speaking to them next week

Nice looking bunch :)

Frogs and Faries and Laundry - another day in London

I sound like a frog...it's true. I've been sick for the past few weeks. And of course, as an American procrastinator, I wait until I get sick to try to register with the doctor. It's really great having National Insurance - the NHS plan. But oddly enough, I've found that most of the elderly here are really REALLY old. There are so many people here that have different types of arthritis and hunched backs - I can't help but think it's because of you have to literally carry everything you'll need for the rest of the day with you. This includes any groceries or other items you'll purchase along the way. Nonetheless, I've been sitting in my closet room - doing laundry, sleeping, but mainly Skyping with Caio.

Another thing I've noticed about "londoners" is their habitual need for a "fag." Every where I go, accented business men and women are pulling out their skinny white cigs for a few puffs before getting onto the Tube - Oh this brings me to another topic...

I wholeheartedly believe that I've gotten sick from being on the tube. In fact, I'm so sure of it that I've banned the tube all together for the next few weeks. I've purchased hand sanitizer, hand soap and vitamin C to undo what was done to me on that horrid piece of machinery. The tube has been on and off strike - usually over the weekend - so the bus is the next option. It's not so bad either. I know where I'm going, and I usually drive straight through Soho, which is very entertaining but also frustrating for a young, poor college graduate.

Yesterday I had my first presentation at the Rotary of Barkingside. I've met them before, but in honor of the President, here's a picture.



The presentation went well and I don't think I bored the audience too much - I always try to use pictures instead of words on a screen. I'll be headed with them to Eastbourne in a few weeks, so I'm looking forward to getting to know each of the members individually.

On the school side, I have yet to meet an American taking my International Relations course. It's good and bad. Good because I get to know so so SO many different people with different cultures. On the bad side, it's quite easy to get put into a box of the rest of Americans (they assume you know nothing outside of the U.S.) whenever I have something to say. I was expecting this, especially in the field of International Relations. But what I've also come to find out, is that alot of students my age know more about their own country than the rest of the world. Part of this is natural, however, but it sorta makes me feel good. Most of the time, I'm familiar with a few of the events that have taken place outside the States.

Secondly, I've gotten to know the girls on my hall very well. We've nicknamed our kitchen the "Fairy" kitchen because when we first moved in, everyone bought the cheapest dish soap called "Fairy." We've decided to have a dinner every Wednesday night. A few people will volunteer to make something very small, but enough for everyone to try. It's a great way for us to stay connected and know that we're all living together in one hall, so we might as well get to know each other. Ironically, there are girls representing the following countries: Japan, Germany, Italy, France, India, Nigeria, Rwanda and Iran.

I'll have to get pictures up soon...

Rotary and Oxford

I've finally settled into my quaint (and I emphasize the word quaint) apartment/dorm. The location is absolutely amazing..three blocks from Westminster, Parliament and the London Eye. But my room is TINY!

Enough about that, this post is a bit of a view on Oxford. I've added pictures at the bottom. After a huge and often times unfriendly stay in London thus far...Oxford was undoubtedly REFRESHING. Not only was my Rotarian host amazing, but also my room was HUGE! I felt very much at home with how everything was set up. I didn't realize how much I missed spacious greenery until I was in Oxford. The more north you travel in London/UK, the more American Southern you find things. And what I've discovered since being away from home? I really do like the South. Can't deny my roots!

Our Oxford trip was short-lived, but fun nonetheless. I met alot of other Rotarian scholars and made memories with other Rotarian members in Oxford. My host was so great, she showed me around the area I stay at (Northern Oxford) and showed me some "Northern" hospitality.

On Saturday night, we all met up with surrounding Rotarian clubs for a "Barn" dance and good company. I first didn't exactly like the idea, but once I was forced onto the dance floor, I had alot of fun - again, another feeling of home.

The dance was alot like the kind of dancing you would find in Pride and Prejudice or Emma. In fact, my Rotary host and I kept calling dibs on Darcy, because we knew he would "waltz" through the door at any moment.

Oxford showed me alot that not all people in London are uneasy about hugging goodbye. And most often, I misinterpret unfriendliness for a different culture. All-in-all I met some great Rotarian scholars, was able to make good memories with them - including tasting some yummy fish and chips at a pub where Tolkein and C.S. Lewis used to converse!

Enough talk, more pictures...

My Host Family: David and Diane Wynne-Fitzgerald, took me to tour inside the Tower of London for my birthday. It was a complete surprise. I learned alot of history and ate my first fish and chips!

Meeting Rotarians from ALL OVER the world and enjoying a very cultured lunch.

Kate, from Australia, and I both admiring the HUGE Oxford library. Wish we could of gone inside!

Enjoying some bitter with Rotarian scholars...at a pub that C.S. Lewis and J.R. Tolkien hung out.