'Making the Most of Every Opportunity'

Say 'Good-Bye' to my blog - Send me your e-mail

2011-03-27T13:38:00.000-07:00

For all the Sarah Perry blog readers out there...I am going to take a hiatus from blogging. If you are a family member or friend and you do read my blog regularly and you would like to be kept updated about my time in Scotland, please send me your name and e-mail address. I am planning to send out bi-weekly e-mail updates.

Perry.SarahMarie@gmail.com

I would LOVE to keep you updated and in contact!

Cheers! Sarah

Publicity for 'Running to End Polio'

2011-03-13T05:52:00.000-07:00

I have been absolutely overwhelmed by the support of the local Aberdeen Rotarians making up the many, many Rotary Clubs in District 1010! The Rotarians have done so much to 'spread the word' about supporting my efforts to 'End Polio Now' through running the Rotterdam Marathon.

A press release was formed, distributed, and well received by many local Scottish news agencies...here are some links of published articles and information about 'Running to End Polio'!

Copy and Paste links in your Browser to view:

http://local.stv.tv/aberdeen/news/12338-rotarian-running-for-rotterdam/

http://www.rotary-ribi.org/districts/page.asp?DistrictNo=1010&PgID=195507

My sponsor Rotary District in West Virginia also sent out information about how to support me through their District Newsletter! Many, many thanks to Rotarians!

www.JustGiving.com/SarahEndPolio

Coffee Mornings, Jogging in the Park, and Sweets!

2011-03-13T05:50:00.000-07:00

Honestly have no idea where the past 3 weeks went…now nearly mid March and St. Patrick’s Day and my 6 Month Anniversary in Scotland just around the corner - I find myself mid-semester, busy with the first round of coursework, working, running, and participating in Rotary events and meetings.

Apart from all the necessary, seemingly mundane activities of…studying, training for the Rotterdam marathon, raising support for ‘End Polio Now’, meeting and speaking with many Rotarians, and serving countless pints of lager at my new part time job…it’s the small things like Starbuck’s coffee mornings, running to a nearby park, and baking inventive ‘sweets’ that really ‘refresh’ me!

The weather is getting slightly warmer here in Aberdeen, and we were all blessed with nearly a week of sunshine! No gray clouds, no rain – which has been unheard of since I arrived in Scotland in September. The hours of sunlight are getting longer, and feelings of spring and BBQ’s are just around the corner…

The warmer weather has also brought new ‘spring time’ flowers to bloom! One of my favorite places in Aberdeen is ‘Duthie Park’. The park is about a 2 mile run from my house so I frequent the park often – and recently the park has been full of the most beautiful purple, white, and light purple crocus flowers! The ground is literally covered with purples and white, so much so that the green grass just peeks through!

Lots of grad school studying has led to treating myself to Starbuck’s coffee mornings, and de-stressing by baking new ‘sweets’ recipes. Scotland is turning me into a true baker! Since Scotland doesn’t really sell many ‘box mixes’ of cakes or brownies or anything, I’ve been learning to make everything from scratch. Mmm homemade vanilla cupcakes, blondies, lemon cake, poppy seed muffins, orange chocolate muffins…

Looking forward to the Spring Break and the Rotterdam! I’m planning to take my Spring Break week to travel around Belgium a bit and ending in Rotterdam to run the marathon – just 28 days until the marathon and 4 more weeks of training!

Running to End Polio Now

2011-02-22T11:16:00.000-08:00

Here it goes...Marathon #2! I've been training for nearly 4 weeks - for the Rotterdam Marathon on 10 April 2011. I'm running the marathon in support of Rotary's efforts to End Polio Now!

Check out the 'Just Giving' site to donate and for more information...
Copy and Paste the following link into your Browser:

http://www.justgiving.com/SarahEndPolio

**note - ONLY if you are a NON-UK resident...when donating, opt out of adding Gift Aid. NON-UK residents do not pay UK taxes, which is what contributes to the accumulation of Gift Aid - so if NON-UK residents do NOT opt-out, the site will NOT process or accept your donation**

I am asking every Rotarian, Rotary Club, and individual I come in contact with to support me per mile, or to donate any amount regarded appropriate.

£1 per Mile = £26

50p per Mile = £13

25p per Mile = £6.50

Goal… Raise £2,600 to eradicate polio.

£1 = 5 polio vaccines. So £2,600 will vaccinate 13,000 children!

Amazingly, polio is completely preventable! Immunizing every child until transmission stops will completely eradicate the infectious disease. Thanks to Rotary and its partners, the world has seen polio cases plummet by more than 99 percent, preventing five million instances of child paralysis and 250,000 deaths. But the polio cases represented by that final 1 percent are the most difficult and expensive to prevent. That is why it is so important to generate the funding needed to ‘End Polio Now’. To fail is to invite a polio resurgence that would condemn millions of children to lifelong paralysis in the years ahead.

With your support...I will run the Rotterdam Marathon in honor of every child who has lost their ability to run and walk due to the transmission of the polio virus. With your support … I will run the Rotterdam Marathon for every human being who suffers from this crippling disease. With your support…I will to run the Rotterdam Marathon to eradicate polio. With your support…we will insure that polio never again robs a child’s ability to walk and run. I need your support!

Front Page News

2011-02-20T07:34:00.000-08:00

'I never felt unsafe' - my Cairo experience in print!

Front Page News in my local hometown newspaper, The Dominion Post!

'Cut and Paste the Link to your Browser to View'

http://ee.dominionpost.com/Olive/ODE/DominionPost/LandingPage/LandingPage.aspx?href=RFBvc3QvMjAxMS8w

The Top Eleven of my Egypt Adventure

2011-02-15T13:45:00.000-08:00

My two week journey around Egypt was just what I needed – relaxation, sun, and adventure! There were of course tons of temples and statues of different historic pharaohs, and we did do all of the ‘touristy’ things, like seeing Valley of the Kings in Luxor…so here are my highlights of Egypt. All the things that really made my trip of Egypt unique…

1. Seeing the Pyramids and getting my picture with the WVU flag in front of the Pyramids. Spreading the Mountaineer pride to Egypt!

2. Riding a camel in front of the Pyramids – in Thailand I got to ride an elephant, so I thought it was only appropriate that I ride a camel in Egypt! My camel’s came was Casanova.

3. Seeing the Sphinx guarding the Pyramids – the Sphinx was so much longer than I thought!

4. Going to the Cairo Museum and seeing all of the treasures that were found in King Tut’s tomb. My favorite piece was of course the gold burial mask!

5. Learning how to write my name in Arabic!

6. Holding a baby crocodile!

7. Spending 2 nights on a little felucca boat floating up the Nile. Nearly 20 of us, including a crew of 4, ate, slept, and relaxed on the felucca!

8. Swimming in the Nile! I took a break from the felucca to swim in the Nile!

9. Getting some type of sickness where I couldn’t eat anything for nearly 3 days and I had to take liquid ‘appetite stimulant’ medicine!

10. Climbing Mount Sinai for Sunrise – the mountain that Moses is said to have received the 10 Commandments! We took a 2 hour bus ride to Mt. Sinai, then we started climbing the mountain at 2AM – we climbed up the mountain for 2 more hours, waited nearly an hour and then climbed an additional 700 steps to the very top of Mt. Sinai! Then we had to wait until the 6:35AM sunrise – so we all wrapped up in blankets and waited for another hour in the freezing cold! There was actually snow and ice covering the top of the mountain. The sun rising, uncovering the mountains peak by peak was one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever seen. And the sunrise was a striking orange color, glowing over the mountains!
Then we had to descend the mountain which took another 2 hours! 700 steps down from the peak of the mountain, then additional 3000 steps to the very bottom of the mountain. It was a workout to say the least.

11. Snorkeling in the Red Sea – it was truly amazing to see the coral that is hiding below the crystal blue waters of the Red Sea. Bright colored fish and masses of coral living in the waters!

Cairo Chaos – From Cairo to Paris to Aberdeen!

2011-02-15T11:26:00.000-08:00

Many people have been asking me about my experience in Cairo. I was in Cairo for the very beginning of the riots and protests that occurred there. Fair warning, this is the longest single blog post that I have ever written. That said, it is also probably the most significant and most interested blog post I have ever written. So here it goes…my account of the ‘Cairo Chaos’.

In Dahab (8 hour bus ride from Cairo) - Our tour group was informed by our tour leader that there were planned protests against the government that were to occur in Cairo Friday morning, after 10:00AM – after morning prayer and ‘church’ for Muslims.

Friday, 28th of January we drove overnight 8 hours by bus to arrive in Cairo at 8:30AM. We were restricted to our hotel all day. Everyone was unsure of where or what the protests would lead to, the extent of the violence or peacefulness, etc. So to play it safe we had to stay in our hotel. The only time we left was for lunch – we walked around block to a little local restaurant, and even then we caught remnants of tear gas, so we had to move inside and cover our mouths and eyes. Quickly we were ushered back to the hotel. All day we watched from the hotel roof balcony as the protests escalated. I witnessed watching the flames raise from the government building across the Nile as they burned down, I heard and saw protesters gather in the streets, marching towards ‘downtown Cairo’. We saw tear gas bombs being let off into the air and watched on the news as Cairo’s people went to the street, surrounded by army men and tanks.

Lack of information was the biggest obstacle. The internet had been shut down in Egypt and no one really knew if the protests would get better or worse. My flight was leaving the next day, Saturday, January 29th at 5PM – so along with another girl, Sam, who was on the tour and the same flight and me, we decided to go to the airport early Saturday morning. So we left at 7AM to arrive at the airport at 8AM and waited 7 hours until we could check in for our flight.

Long story really short is that our flight was canceled! We found out at 3PM and no one from BMI airline was there – so we were basically stranded in the Cairo airport without a flight out.

In Egypt there is no concept of waiting your turn or standing in line, everyone speaks Arabic, and no one was giving us any information about who to talk to or where to go – let the chaos begin…

Again, long story really short is that we had no option other than to wait to see if anyone from BMI airline was going to show up, so that meant spending the night in the Cairo airport. I spent the night on the Cairo airport floor with hundreds of other people who were also stranded at the airport…

How do I describe the Cairo airport? Picture this...masses of people in the airport…those whose flights were canceled + those whose flights were later in the week and were at the airport trying to leave sooner + those whose flights were actually planned to leave + Egyptians who were trying to leave the country or fly elsewhere within Egypt + plus all of those people who were arriving to Egypt and being told they weren’t allowed to go into Cairo and were being sent home back on a plane the next day = 5 times the amount of people that were supposed to be there! Plus + everyone was in ‘emergency’ mode, so all of the convenience stores and restaurants were being wiped clean of food and water!

I knew that the airport was one of the safest places to be, and I never felt threatened at the airport, but I was concerned about running out of food and water and I was concerned about what the next few days of these conditions would lead to. We didn’t know when BMI airlines would show up to change our tickets, we didn’t know when planes were leaving, and we had extreme lack of information.

As I sat on the airport floor I watched as people gathered together, people helping others, everyone recognizing the desperation of the situation. I was able to meet some really nice people in the airport and we talked and exchanged our ideas of how we would get out of Cairo. It was interesting to see people across cultures come together in unity under such uncertainty.

There was no ‘real’ food at the airport, just chips and chocolate, Twinkies and snack food – so after a night’s sleep on the Cairo airport floor and full of sugar, Saturday morning we decided we had to get out of the airport, meaning we would have to buy a completely new plane ticket!

So much happened in the time between 7AM and 2PM on Saturday – I cannot go into details or I would be typing all day. All the confusion, the mental exhaustion, my apparent annoyance of all the indoor smoking (there are no indoor smoking laws, so it’s perfectly normal to smoke inside, and I was determined my lungs were the color of coal) it was a completely chaotic and ridiculous situation. The crowds were getting worse, and I knew I needed to get out of Cairo as soon as possible.

By an act of God, literally a miracle, you could convince me of nothing less, a man came out of nowhere and instructed us that in order to get out of Egypt we had to get a confirmation number. So literally, within 30 minutes, this man had his company’s travel agent on the phone, he allowed me to borrow his phone, we contacted my mom, we bought a new plane ticket, and I was moving along the masses of people to get through security!

I was moved by this man’s generosity and selflessness. As we chatted he said to me “it’s all about people helping other people” – that simple comment completely struck me! How true – if we don’t help each other, encourage each other, invest in others, and share our lives with those around us, what is life really about? This man is a perfect example of how such a little thing done for others, how an everyday act of kindness, a smile, a selfless task, will change and impact a person’s life in ways we may never realize or imagine.

I wish all of you could have seen me in action for the one hour time frame which occurred next, as I fought through crowds of people and security to board the plane. I was in a complete rush because my plane was leaving just one hour’s time of receiving my confirmation number! I had to shove and push my way through masses of people who were mostly Egyptian (remember there is no concept of line!) while at the same time I had to get my luggage through a conveyor belt to the other side of the security. Security was HORRIBLE – I’m convinced nothing was actually checked for safety (which is kind of scary when you think about it). The man who helped me get a confirmation number, also helped me get my bag through security. I pushed myself through the crowds to the other side of security where I waited for my bags to come out of the conveyor belt. Again let me remind you of the complete mess of chaos – no one was on the other side of the conveyor belt to retrieve their bags, so I took the lead and was literally throwing other peoples luggage off of the belt so the belt would continue to move. I was shoving massive pieces of luggage onto the floor and piling bags on top of each other.

Then…here comes the best part. I finally retrieved my bag – a full 20 kilo bag, approximately a 40 pound suitcase – and I heaved it over my head! Mental picture…imagine me, a crazy American girl with a massive suitcase over her head, bumping into people and threatening to knock you over! My adrenaline must have been really intense. It was not glamorous – I was sweating and I was shaking from being so nervous I wasn’t going to make it on time!

I got to the AirFrance desk, continued to shake, watched as a man passed out beside me, continued on to the other security checkpoint where passports and boarding passes were being checked, and within 15 minutes of clearing security I was in another line to board the airplane!!!

We sat on the airplane for what seemed like forever and finally lifted off. I arrived in Paris 5 hour later at 10PM! My flight connection was from Paris to Aberdeen, and my flight from Aberdeen didn’t leave until the next morning at 10AM. I didn’t mind this overnight layover at all, I was just so happy to be out of the Cairo craziness! I could have cared less that I had to stay a second night on an airport floor!

Everything happened so fast, everything was such a blur, I was so anxious to get back to Aberdeen, plus the uncomfortable addition of homeless people that opted to stay the night in the Paris airport…all of this led to nearly no sleep. I just sat there in the Paris airport trying to process what had just happened!

The next day the plane left Paris – destination Aberdeen. I can honestly say I have never been so happy to be back in Aberdeen or to see the rainy, gray Scottish weather. I have a whole new appreciation for Aberdeen! I was so thankful for the safety of Aberdeen and the freedoms that I am blessed with in life. The whole experience truly impacted me and in many ways that I am aware of and in many ways I have not realized yet. The whole experience of Egypt has changed me.

It would be unfair to say that my whole Egypt experience was chaotic and intense. Fact is that prior to the last 2 days in Egypt, I truly did have a very enjoyable and relaxing vacation, so I will fairly dedicate a few additional blog posts to those adventures as well…

My 2nd Home

2011-02-14T09:26:00.000-08:00

I have been in Scotland nearly 5 months – that is the longest I have ever consecutively been away from home, making Aberdeen the place I’ve lived the longest other than good ole Morgantown , West Virginia! Aberdeen is officially my 2nd home!

More blog posts to come about Egypt and ‘Cairo chaos’ soon … Happy Valentine's Day.

Mini - Life Update

2011-02-14T09:23:00.000-08:00

A mini-life update: I have now been back in Aberdeen Scotland for 2 weeks after returning safely from Egypt. It was an adventure filled 2 weeks in Egypt, plus an extra 2 chaotic days trying to and successfully getting out of the Cairo airport!

I’ll post a few blog posts about my favourite experiences in Egypt like riding a camel, seeing the pyramids, snorkelling in the Red Sea and climbing Mt. Sinai to watch the sunrise!

I’ll also be sure to include a post or two about my experiences in Cairo as I witnessed the start of the riots unfold! Looking back it was a major historical event that I had the chance to momentarily witness, in the moment however… well, it wasn’t so fun.

I have returned to Aberdeen for many new and exciting changes and things to look forward to this semester…

1. I started a whole new set of classes – which despite all the work and busy-ness, I really do enjoy my International Marketing studies.

2. I started a part time job at a local pub/restaurant – I was in need of a little extra money, hoping to save up for some more travelling, so I decided to apply for a part time job … I am chuffed (happy) to say I am one of the newest wait/bar staff at a Scottish Pub in Aberdeen! We serve the famous Scottish pub food – fish and chips, minced meat pies, chicken stuffed with haggis…and we serve lots and lots of lager and whiskey! Not only is this a great opportunity for me to make a little extra money, it is also a really unique ‘cultural’ experience, one that would not have the experience of doing back in America!

3. I am also training to run the Rotterdam Marathon on April 10th I am running the marathon in support of Rotary International’s ‘End Polio Now’ Campaign. My goal, with the help of Rotarians and friends, is to raise £2,600 pounds to assist in the eradication of polio – more details on how to donate to be posted soon, so definitely check back.

So all in all…life is busy, but exciting, and after all of my travelling opportunities over the last two months, experiencing different cultures and people, and being caught in all the craziness of Egypt, I have a whole new appreciation for Aberdeen!

Relxing with the Pyramids and Beaches

2011-01-14T07:24:00.000-08:00

Off to EGYPT for 2 weeks…

After returning from Christmas Break travel and returning ‘home’ to Aberdeen Scotland, I am again off to ‘Make the Most of My Opportunity’ whilst studying in Scotland, since I am much closer to travel destinations compared to West Virginia!

I had to come back to Aberdeen for the first two weeks of January to finish my coursework for 1st semester as well as take an exam! So I’ve been doing non-stop studying and report writing for the past 2 weeks! Finished my last piece of coursework this morning…which officially means I have completed my 1st semester of graduate school! I’m 1/3 of the way there!

So now I’m ready to relax for 2 weeks and explore EGYPT. No coursework, no laptop, just a few books, and the beaches and pyramids of EGYPT!

Many more blog posts and adventures to be posted in 2 weeks…

$ Milano $

2011-01-03T10:29:00.000-08:00

From Rome Italy on New Years Day to Milan Italy for the first 3 days of 2011! My time with the organized traveling group I had joined ended in Rome and it was up to me to find my way back to ‘home’ in Aberdeen, Scotland. Since all connecting flights from Rome to Scotland, first went to Milan, I decided to make a ‘pit-stop’ in Milan for a few days before heading back to Aberdeen to finish my final coursework.

Milan is known as the ‘design capital’ of Europe and is also home of Italy’s stock exchange. Milan was the perfect break in between the busy-ness of traveling from London to Rome and before returning back to the reality of graduate school.

Milan is full of high-end, luxury shopping, shopping, shopping – Prada, Dolce and Gabanna, Hermes, Tiffany’s, and Louis Vuiton literally filled the streets!

The most breath-taking historical site – found right in the middle of all the shopping and in the city center, is the Duomo. As you walk along the streets of Milan and come to the city center you are taken away by The Duomo Cathedral! The pinnacles of the cathedral are almost palace like as they reach towards the sky.

I enjoyed my last few days in Milan relaxing, window shopping (no actual shopping took place), and café hopping – sampling all the cappuccino, and brioche possible. Brioche is what the Italians call croissants. I enjoyed vanilla crème, nutella, chocolate, and my favorite caramel crème filled brioche!

I also started reading up on EGYPT! My next big adventure is heading off to Egypt for 2 weeks before my second semester starts in February!

The History and Chaos of Rome

2011-01-01T13:37:00.000-08:00

Rome is filled with ancient history…but also filled with masses of people!

On a positive note, you simply cannot replace or replicate the history of Rome, with the ancient ruins of the Coliseum, Vatican City – home and country of the Pope, the Parthenon, Spanish Steps, and Trevi Fountain, as well as countless ancient Roman remains, statues, museums, and historical buildings.

On the ‘not-so-positive side’, it seemed like everyone in Italy, half of the United States, and many; many others were all enjoying the sites of Rome at the same time! At the Spanish Steps and the Trevi Fountain I could hardly move without being surrounded by massive crowds. Streets were literally filled with people, and the interesting thing is that December is the ‘off peak’ season for tourism in Rome; I can’t imagine the chaos in summer!

The Coliseum and Palatine Hill were my ‘Revivals of Rome’ and were the two elements of the bustling city that ‘refreshed and revived’ me from the massive crowds:

The Coliseum was my favorite part of Rome! At night time the Coliseum is highlighted by spot lights throughout the entry ways and many openings. In the day time you are able to go inside the Coliseum and see the ruins covered in green moss and walk around the circle-like maze.

The Palatine is the hillside right beside the Coliseum, holding the preserved ruins of ancient Rome. You can pay to go into the Palatine and walk around, enjoying the park-like setting full of history! Thankfully, we were blessed with great weather, the sun was shining and the air was cool and refreshing, making the stroll along the ancient ruins a real joy. The Palatine also provides great pictures of overlooking the Coliseum from the hilltop.

The Hilltop Town of Orvieto

2011-01-01T13:36:00.000-08:00

From Florence to Rome we stopped at a small town called Orvieto that is located upon a hilltop and overlooks the picturesque Tuscany countryside. We took a tram up the hillside of Orvieto and then walked about 15 minutes up the stone roads of the Orvieto town. The Orvieto streets were of course filled with tons of wine shops and pizzerias, and were also filled with many restaurants serving wild boar! Orvieto is known for its famous wild boar; however I opted for the traditional Italian pizza for lunch.

At the tops of the Orvieto hill, as the center focal point of the town was the cathedral of Orvieto. After a few pictures of the church and then pictures overlooking the Italian country side, we climbed back on the bus and headed to Rome…

The BEST of Italy: Florence

2011-01-01T13:35:00.000-08:00

So far Florence is my favorite part of Italy! It is the perfect size city, not too big and not too small, with heaps of chain stores and also original boutiques to go shopping. I most enjoyed looking at the original Florence jewelry and leather goods.

To me, Florence was the perfect picture of Italy, with the Tuscany country side in the background, rivers running through the city, churches, ancient statues, museums full of history, tons of pizza and gelato, and lots and lots of shopping! You could easily sit outside in one of the restaurants many outdoor seating areas and watch the crowds go by while, relaxing while enjoying delicious Italian food and a glass of wine, so site seeing to appreciate the rich history of the country, or enjoy a great day of shopping!

Favorites of Florence:

The Duomo and Cathedral: The cathedral was made of all types of colored marble and stone. I really liked the greens, red, and blue tone used to make the cathedral, as most churches and building seen throughout Italy and in Paris were completely white or gray.

Shopping: There was of course the outside ‘street markets’ selling everything you can imagine for really affordable prices. But if you took the time and were willing to spend just a little extra euro, the real treat was all the original jewelry, leather, and fashion boutiques that adorned the town.

Food: How can you go to Italy and not LOVE the food? I ate the best spaghetti with tomato and basil sauce, the best margarita pizza – which is the original cheese and tomato sauce pizza served it Italy, the most delicious gelato ice cream– pistachio and fudge-y chocolate have been my favorite flavors, and the tastiest canoli ever, and drank espresso ‘at the bar’ like a real Italian!

The Leaning Tower of Pisa

2011-01-01T13:34:00.000-08:00

On our way from Switzerland to Florence we stopped at The Leaning Tower of Pisa. I was most surprised that The Leaning Tower of Pisa is just part of an entire cathedral located in Pisa. The ‘Leaning Tower’ is the Bell Tower located on the far end of the massive dome and cathedral. I also learned that The Leaning of Pisa started leaning as they were building it as well as after it was built…and all of the cathedral is actually leaning a bit, but is harder to notice because of the extreme lean of The Tower!

Lauterbrunnen Switzerland

2010-12-28T11:54:00.000-08:00

We arrived in the valley of Lauterbrunnen Switzerland just in time for Christmas dinner – with snow covered trees and mountains surrounding the camp where we stayed.

We all stayed in cabins – I loved going from the bustling streets of Paris to the small country town of Lauterbrunnen, where there was literally one main street in the village!

As you may have guessed from the Lauterbrunnen name, the town is Swiss-German, and the people of Switzerland can speak a mixture of the French, German-Swiss, Swiss, and English language.

Lauterbrunnen and Switzerland are beautiful, especially in the heart of winter! Mountains surrounded the valley and as far as I looked all I could see where mountains covered in pine trees topped with white glistening snow. The snow was the freshest, whitest, most crisp snow I have ever seen – as well as the deepest and most snow I have ever witnessed. It was the best truly ‘white Christmas’ I have ever experienced.

It was nice to relax, yet there is still plenty to do in Lauterbrunnen. Many people were skiing, there were cable cars that climbed the mountain, and the shops sold real wooden toboggan sleds! In addition to real toboggan sleds, there were also shops with real Swiss coo-coo clocks, Swiss watches, and Swiss Knives!

We treated ourselves to Swiss cheese and Swiss chocolate fondue – which was both fun and delicious to eat! Then I had the most amazing hot chocolate of my life, made with milky white Swiss chocolate!

Paris Favorites

2010-12-28T11:47:00.000-08:00

One day truly is not enough in Paris – that being said, I have to go back! When imagining traveling to Europe, Paris is on the top of every travelers list, and it is very ‘cliché’ destination spot. We were told 17 million tourists visiting Paris each year, and there is most certainly a reason why! Paris is lively and exciting, full of history and national pride, and is adorned with the most beautiful and eclectic architecture.

I could go on and on about Paris, because there is so much to see and do, with so much history – but instead I narrowed Paris down to my 4 favorites:

1.Opera House 2. The Eiffel Tower 3. French Cuisine 4. Christmas Lights, Displays and Markets

1.Opera House: The Opera House in Paris is the Opera House that inspired The Phantom of The Opera! It was my most favorite site in Paris – and through one window you could see the massive chandelier that inspired the great musical.

2.Eiffel Tower: The Eiffel Tower is simply amazing. With all of Paris having such classy, historic buildings – the Eiffel Tower stands out for being a more ‘modern’ attraction. Undoubtedly the most recognizable structure in France and maybe all of Europe – the Eiffel Tower is both stunning at night and in the day. At night the Eiffel Tower is completely lit up, and on the hour – every hour after dark, the Eiffel Tower sparkles with flashing lights! In the day time it was surreal standing next to the massive structure, and seeing all the detail.

3.French Cuisine:
I ate ‘escargot’ for the first time! The snail was actually delicious and was finished with a really nice basil topping.

I ate frog legs! You have to eat the frog legs off the bone, like a chicken wing (haha) and had the texture of chicken, yet kind of tasted more like fish. Not sure I would choose to eat frog legs again, but they certainly were not disgusting.

I ate the best piece of ham quiche ever! The quiche was delicious. I also had the best Crème Brule that literally melts in your mouth! I also indulged in the best raspberry chocolate tart, MmmMMmm. And at breakfast there was always plenty of Croissants and Nutella!

4.Christmas Markets – The best part of traveling over Christmas is seeing all of the festive Christmas decorations and attractions. The Paris Christmas lights were absolutely beautiful – along the main street of Boulevard Haussmann the trees that lined the streets were cascading with white Christmas lights. An entire street of Paris was lined with little booth like sheds that sold everything – winter hats and scarves, toys, wooden carvings, Christmas decorations, and of course all kinds of tasty sweets – mulled wine, cinnamon churros, hot chocolate, waffles, crepes…gingerbread cookies! The shops also adorned the most fascinating Christmas lights and displays – some department stores even had moving, singing, automated Christmas displays to attract attention!

Other Paris favorites: Notre Dame Cathedral, the chapel at Montemart and the view overlooking the city, and the Louve – which is the most massive historical building I have ever seen!

London in a Day

2010-12-26T08:03:00.000-08:00

Instead of traveling back home to Morgantown West Virginia for Christmas Break, I decided to join a ‘travel group’ with 42 other 18-30ish year olds, through a travel agency. The 9 day trip starts in London, England and ends in Rome, Italy!

I took the train down to London, and despite almost missing my train, weather delays and an unexpected change of train itinerary, I made it to the hostel in London, safe and sound! I stayed in a hostel for two nights in London with 13 other people in my group hostel room – most certainly having unique experiences!

It was my first time to London and I just had one day to explore the city, so I thought I would share some of my ‘London favorites’:

1.Definitely my most favorite part of London was seeing ‘Big Ben’ and The House of Parliament that is attached to the iconic clock. Only pictures can describe the ‘royal beauty’ of the architecture.

2.Westminster Abbey is diagonal to ‘Big Ben’ and The House of Parliament, with huge circle windows and church steeples, it was a gorgeous!

3.Buckingham Palace – the home of English Royalty! Guarding the Palace are massive golden tipped and iron gates. The premise is decorated with statues, and fountain, and gold figurines – truly a historic site.

4.Christmas Market and Fair – a really unique and fun part of traveling over the Christmas season is getting to see all of the Christmas Markets. The London Christmas Market and Fair was filled with Christmas themed carnival rides and tons of different booths selling yummy international food and gifts – everything from German pretzels and Belgium waffles (that smelled delicious!) to Russian dolls and Austrian crystal figurines. I love the mixing and sharing of cultures that is so evident throughout Europe, especially in the markets.

5.The London Tower – The London Tower is actually a bridge, with two castle-like towers – I saw the London Tower at night and it was accentuated by white and blue lights, giving the bridge a ‘Cinderella fairy tale castle’ feel.

Flat Stanley

2010-12-20T15:01:00.000-08:00

I leave for my Christmas Holiday tomorrow morning and I have a traveling companion…his name is ‘Flat Stanley’!

‘Flat Stanley’ is well…really just a laminated piece of construction paper – but to a first grade class in West Virginia ‘Flat Stanley’ is so much more! My best friend from home – Kayla – is finishing her final Masters year in Education and is currently working as a ‘Student-Teacher’ in West Virginia.

Kayla is teaching the kids in her first grade class about different places around the world, and giving them specific social science/geography lessons on the places ‘Flat Stanley’ and I visit! I will be taking pictures throughout England, France, Switzerland, and Italy over the next 2 weeks with ‘Flat Stanley’ – to connect the kids with another part of the world!

Kayla had all the kids write about ‘What they think Flat Stanley is doing right now’ and ‘how did Flat Stanley get to Scotland’ – the boys thought he was playing video games, and the girls thought he was shopping and eating chocolate! They also thought he drove to Scotland!

I’m looking forward to my cultural adventure with ‘Flat Stanley’ and sharing all of my pictures with the first grade students!

Baking to Climb a Kilimanjaro? Yes!

2010-12-20T15:00:00.000-08:00

I know many of you who read my blog are past ‘supporters’ of my many mission trip opportunities – and since I am in another ‘season’ of life right now – working alongside Rotary as an Ambassadorial Scholar this year and getting my Masters, I do not find myself having any personal plans to do a soon upcoming missions trip, but I thought I would let you all know about another opportunity…

Childreach International works in Tanzania, Ghana, India, Nepal, Bangladesh, and Palestinian Territories - working in genuine partnership with the local communities there to help improve children’s access to healthcare, education, child rights and child protection!

In 2009 thanks to Childreach – 11,781 children had access to education, 23,330 children had access to health care, 4,000 children had access to child right protection, and 189 children had access to skilled training! That is 39,300 children whose lives were FOREVER CHANGED thanks to Childreach!

Childreach does many sponsorship events to raise money to support the children – one creative event being the ‘Climb Kilimanjaro’ Trek. At 5,895 meters (19,340 feet) Kilimanjaro is not only Africa's highest peak it is also the highest freestanding mountain in the world.

For this charity trek – participants are asked to raise a minimum of £2,440 = $3,800 USD – the money will go towards Childreach International Projects and a minimal amount will cover the expenses of the 3 week trek!

My best friend in Aberdeen – Angharad – is participating in this trek! She is an amazing friend and an inspiring young woman! I spent all day with her on this past Saturday baking tons of sweets for a church bake sale! She has been working very hard to raise money and would be extremely grateful to financial support!

I thought I would extend to YOU – my blog audience - an opportunity to support her!

Just Copy and Paste the Following Link to your Browser:
http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/fundraiser-web/fundraiser/showFundraiserProfilePage.action?userUrl=AngharadThatcher

Last time I put an ‘offer’ like this on my blog was for donations to buy Bibles for students in Hong Kong! My roommate from Hong Kong, who is not a Christian, recently sent me the picture you will find to the left (a picture of the chapter of Genesis – with Chinese characters by the side, her notes after reading the Bible). This picture was taken nearly a year after giving her the Bible – just a little proof that you never know how your life and your contribution is impacting and changing the life of someone else!

Christmas Tree 'Hunting'

2010-12-20T14:58:00.000-08:00

Christmas Tree ‘hunting’ – is one of my favorite things to do and a favorite time of the year! One of my best childhood memories and family oriented traditions is picking out a real Christmas Tree every year. Every year the whole family packs into our van, and we head to the Christmas Tree Farm! Getting family together is sure to be filled with indecision and the most love-filled bickering. Every year we can’t decide on a tree, yelling is normally involved, we can never decide on where to go for lunch, and every year we say, “Next year we are getting a fake tree”…but we never do! And that is the JOY of Christmas!

The best part a real Christmas Tree though is the smell! I love the smell of fresh pine! I always love when the pine needles fall off the tree and we have to vacuum them up – most people hate this nuisance, but I love it, because the pine needles fill our vacuum cleaner and then the vacuum cleaner smells like pine for all of January!

So…I was so happy when my friend Angharad asked me to come with her to pick out their family Christmas Tree! Angharad and I were just as indecisive in picking out a tree, but no bickering was involved! We laughed as we compared the different types of trees and in the end picked the ‘perfect’ Christmas Tree! After choosing ‘our’ tree – we ate Venison Burgers (a favorite family tradition of Angharad’s).

Christmas Crackers and Homemade Cupcakes

2010-12-12T17:23:00.000-08:00

This week I went to the Rotary Christmas Dinner – it was a lovely Christmas meal with my host St. Nicholas Rotary Club. A night filled with good food, Christmas Trivia Quizzes, Raffles, and Singing Carols!

A Christmas favorite here in Scotland is the ‘Christmas Cracker’ – a tube/cylinder that looks like a big ‘Tootsie Roll’ with the ends like a candy wrapper. The ‘Christmas Cracker’ is hollow inside and filled with little Christmas presents, a Christmas crown – made of tissue paper, and cheesy Christmas jokes! ‘Christmas Crackers’ are made of a cardboard like material and decorated in all types of Christmas colors and designs – green, red, gold, silver…snowflakes, snowmen, ornaments. You can open the ‘Christmas Cracker’ by pulling both ends and ‘popping’ the ‘Christmas Cracker’ like a confetti popper!

All of the Rotarians and their wives wore the tissue paper Christmas crowns as we enjoyed the evening. At the end of the dinner and Christmas festivities, there was a raffle and I won a tin full of Ferrero Rocher chocolates – the round ball shaped a crunchy wafer with a creamy chocolate and hazelnut centre.

So, knowing it was dangerous to have chocolate just sitting in my cupboard, I decided to make chocolate cupcakes inspired by Ferrero Rocher chocolates!

Another cultural difference here is that very rarely do people buy premade cake mixes. In America, we have shelves full of premade cake mixes, whereas here in Scotland, most everyone makes their own cakes from scratch. So I thought I would embrace the culture and make my first ever truly homemade cake!

Homemade chocolate cupcakes with a Nutella and vanilla cream icing, topped with crushed Ferrero Rocher chocolates! MmmmMm…

St. Nicholas Rotary Website

2010-12-06T14:30:00.000-08:00

I have the BEST host Rotary Club! Thanks St. Nicholas Rotary Club of Aberdeen!

Copy and Paste Link Into Internet Browser to See the St. Nicholas Rotary Club's Website

http://www.zyworld.com/st_nicholas/Ambassadoial_scholar..htm

Santa Fun Run

2010-12-05T12:35:00.001-08:00

There have been a lot of ‘firsts’ in Scotland…and I’ve gotten to see a lot of things in the last 3 months and had an opportunity to do a lot of things that I have never done before, that I would have never expected…and today was definitely one of those times…

Today I ran a 5K Race for Charity dressed as Santa Clause! I took part in the Haddo House Country Park Santa Fun Run that was organized by a local Rotary Club – the Oldmeldrum Rotary Club! All of the race participants received a complimentary Santa Suit. We all ran in the snow covered hills of Aberdeenshire, Scotland!

Thanks to two other local Rotary Clubs – the Dyce and St. Nicholas Rotary Clubs, I was able to raise £210 for the eradication of Polio through the Rotary PolioPlus campaign and also for local Rotary Club initiatives.

The race was ‘good fun’ – and I was thankful for the Santa Suit because it was an extra layer of clothing to keep me warm! Looking forward to many more fun ‘firsts’ in Scotland!

Christmas Cookies

2010-12-05T12:33:00.000-08:00

With Christmas just around the corner…combined with my LOVE for baking and cut-out Christmas sugar cookies with homemade icing…I had a Christmas Cookie making party with friends!

Christmas shaped cookies – like cut-out sugar cookies, aren’t really popular in Scotland. The more popular Christmas dessert here in Minced Pies. Minced Pies are shortbread-like filled mini pie/tart – filled with ‘Minced Meat’ – which actually isn’t meat, but a combination of sugar, chopped nuts and dried fruit. A Minced Pie paired with a little ‘mulled wine’ – a warm, red wine drink with spices and occasionally hints of citrus, is the perfect Christmas treat here.

Since cut-out Christmas cookies really aren’t that popular, ASDA (what Wal-Mart is called here) didn’t have any Christmas shaped cookie cutters! So I had to buy ‘kid set’ kitchen utensils that came with mini cookie cutters in the form of geometric shapes and random animals. We had to use our imaginations to make Christmas shapes.

One of the most innovative shapes was the ‘Christmas Cracker’. In America, we don’t have Christmas Crackers – so basically what a Christmas Cracker is, is a tube shaped present (kind of looks like a big Tootsie Roll) and it is filled with little gifts and presents!

There are lots of ‘cultural exchanges’ – things that are different from culture to culture during the Christmas season. It has been fun to take part in Scottish traditions and share some of my own American traditions.

Meeting The Lord Provost of Aberdeen

2010-12-03T13:11:00.001-08:00

Today I had the privilege to meet Lord Provost of Aberdeen – Peter Stephen. The Lord Provost is the Chairman of the Aberdeen City Council and the ‘public figure’ of Aberdeen. Only 4 cities in Scotland have a ‘Lord Provost’ the other towns in Scotland have a leader called ‘Provost’. If I could equate the Lord Provost to a position in America – it would be a Governor position in a state!

We shook hands and did the very ‘ceremonial’ tasks – signing of a ‘visitors book’, pictures by the Lord Provost’s personal photographer, exchanging of civic gifts. I gave the Lord Provost a gift from West Virginia University, a letter from President Clements of West Virginia University stating the appreciation of cultural exchange and hosting me in Aberdeen this year, a West Virginia State Quarter, as well as a Morgantown Rotary Banner! The Lord Provost gave me a personalized Christmas card, a ‘City of Aberdeen’ manicure set, and a pin with the Aberdeen City seal. Following the exchange of gifts we had coffee, tea, cookies, and shortbread over a chat about the Ambassadorial Scholarship program and life as ‘Lord Provost’.

Following the visit with the Lord Provost, we were then led by Steven – the Lord Provost’s Sergeant of Arms through the historical Aberdeen Town House! Favorites of the Town House:

1). Bohemian Crystal Chandeliers!

2). Armorial Ceiling with 82 different panels commemorating families, individuals and institutions who have made their mark on the history of Aberdeen!

3). An original painting of Queen Victoria!

4). The ‘flying staircase’ – the spiral staircase that is made from slate and built into the external wall so it is completely unsupported and looks like it is hanging in air!

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again – I am so appreciative of the Rotary Ambassadorial Scholarship program and the opportunities I have to meet such extraordinary individuals through my participation in the Rotary. Many Thanks.

Edinburgh is my Pittsburgh

2010-11-28T09:52:00.000-08:00

I took my first trip to Edinburgh Scotland! It was absolutely gorgeous – full of old buildings, castles, tea shops, shopping – and this time of year…snow and the German Christmas market.

Our day in Edinburgh…

6:00 wake up and drive through the snowy, snowy roads to the train station.

8:00 feeling like we are in the ‘Chronicles of Narnia’ with our posh coats, furry hoods, and snowy mountainside.

11:00 arriving in Edinburgh and going to a really cute tea shop with delicious sweets!

…spending the day shopping at Cath Kidston, exploring the German Christmas market tents(with tons of toys, beer, pretzels, and gingerbread cookies), walking to the Royal Mile leading to the Edinburgh Castle, getting into the Edinburgh Castle FREE because of St. Andrews Day weekend, exploring Edinburgh Castle and getting our picture taken by Spaniards and taking picture of funny furry animal hats, shopping for tartan scarves, seeing beautiful stained glass windows and cathedral architecture, taking photos in telephone booths…

15:00 mid afternoon tea and coffee.

…shopping, shopping, shopping…

17:00 relaxing dinner at a lovely vegetarian restaurant.

19:30 train back to Aberdeen!

22:00 return from the snow in Edinburgh back to the snow in Aberdeen.

Thanksgiving in Scotland

2010-11-28T09:51:00.000-08:00

This has been my second consecutive Thanksgiving away from ‘home’ in West Virginia – and as I celebrate this beloved American holiday with a new group of family and friends in Scotland I am reminded of new things I have to be ‘thankful’ for…

I’m thankful for…the Rotary Ambassadorial Scholarship and the opportunity to study abroad in Scotland for a year! I would truly not be able to be in Aberdeen without the Rotary and my time thus far would not have been as meaningful without the support of local Rotarians!

I’m thankful for…my new friends in Aberdeen! You all make Scotland feel like home.

I’m thankful for…the concept of ‘warm drinks’! Coffee & Hot Tea (a new favorite)! And that Diet Coke is international.

I’m thankful for…the RGU Sport Center – for supplying friends, treadmills, and enough endorphins to replace the lack of sun and warm weather I would LOVE to be getting.

I’m thankful for…my new home church in Aberdeen, CITY CHURCH – a true blessing! And…for all the girls in my small group women’s Bible Study <3 love them all for their encouragement and friendship.

I’m thankful for…my understanding of the ‘Scottish English language’… wearing my wellies, throwing rubbish in the bin, lovely castles, posh dinners, not being bothered, nip to the loos, ace pubs, trying not to look shattered, knackered after Masters assignments!

I’m thankful for…sticky toffee pudding MMmmmMm!

I’m thankful for…spontaneity and a sense of adventure!

Making the Most of Every Opportunity – this Thanksgiving and always.

'The Good and The Great'

2010-11-25T10:32:00.000-08:00

Making the News :)

Copy and Paste into Internet Browser to View

C:\Documents and Settings\Sarah\Local Settings\Temp\dyce charter.mht

First Race in Scotland

2010-11-21T08:00:00.000-08:00

This week I ran my first race outside of America! Although over the years I have enjoyed running along the streets of China, Hong Kong, Scotland, and beaches of Thailand – I have never run an official race in another country.

I ran in the Scottish University Sport Cross Country Championship at Stirling University in Scotland! It was a 6K race – approximately 4 miles of hills and mud on a true cross country course. I ran the race as part of The Robert Gordon University Running and Triathlon Team.

I’m looking forward to even more running in Scotland and future races! On December 5th I am running a ‘Santa Fun Run’! It is a 5K race where all the race participants dress up and run in Santa suits!

Scottish Road Trip

2010-11-16T13:49:00.000-08:00

After nearly 2 weeks of continuous studying and 3 days straight of living in the library, all to turn in a massive mid-term assignment – I decided it was time for a much needed break!

So when an opportunity to take a road trip of Scotland came about, I decided to go for it!

Jumping in a car and in 5 days I saw some of the most majestic Scottish mountains, royal Scottish castles, went mountain climbing, and experienced the booming city of Glasgow!

We drove along the West Coast of Scotland…up to Inverness and around the back roads of Loch Ness (home of the Loch Ness Monster)…up to the Isle of Skye…back to the mountains that surround Inverness to go mountain climbing…then back home to Aberdeen…then down to Glasgow…and back to home sweet home Aberdeen!

Read on for my favorite parts of the adventure...

Seven Scottish Highlights

2010-11-16T13:46:00.000-08:00

Top 7 highlights of my completely random spontaneous road trip around Scotland:

1.Getting my picture with some sheep! Definition of a stereotypical Scottish sight – sheep grazing on the rolling hills of Scotland. Take a trip nearly anywhere and yes, that is what you will find!

2.Seeing real Highland Cows for the first time – up close and personal! Highland Cows basically look like buffalo – they have horns and are really ‘furry’! I’m pretty sure they are friendly, but I don’t want to find that out the hard way.

3.Seeing ‘snow-capped’ Scottish mountains!

4.Going Mountain Climbing! To be fair, I was told that I wasn’t really mountain climbing and that it was more of a ‘hill’ and we were on a ‘nature trail’ – but I refuse to think that, because that was the highest and longest ‘hill’ I’ve ever seen! It was really steep and we climbed more than 2000 feet – and there was one point where I literally was scaling the mountainside! It was beautiful and the sight from the mountain was breathtaking, I enjoyed every minute of it.

5.Ordering a Kilt! Usually males wear kilts, but they do make female kilts that are more like ‘skirts’ – the female kilts have less pleats because the front of the kilt is not pleated at all. The female kilts are also typically shorter (although not too short – haha). Each family clan has their own tartan pattern, which means that depending on your last name, the kilt’s plaid pattern and colors will represent your family clan. Since my great, great, grandfather is Scottish; I was able to order my family’s plaid tartan pattern! Now I can wear my kilt with true Scottish pride and it represents a little part of who I am today.

6.Seeing more castles that I ever thought possible!

7.Eating Sticky Toffee Pudding – the most delicious toffee flavored cake served with your choice of ice cream or custard.

Meeting The First Minister of Scotland

2010-11-16T13:44:00.000-08:00

I have been participating in many, many Rotary events, meetings, conferences and volunteer opportunities in Aberdeen – definitely fulfilling my role as an Ambassadorial Scholar! Each new meeting and event I have the chance to meet Rotarians and interesting individuals with impressive life stories. It has been a rewarding opportunity to serve as an Ambassadorial Scholar and I feel very appreciative that the Rotarians and community of Aberdeen have welcomed me with open arms!

My most recent and exciting Rotary experience was meeting the First Minister of Scotland – Alex Salmond. The Dyce Rotary Club, located just outside of Aberdeen was holding its 25th Charter Dinner, celebrating its 25th Birthday as a club. One of the guest speakers for the night was Alex Salmond, First Minister of Scotland (the equivalent to America’s Barack Obama)!

I talked with Alex Salmond for about 2 minutes about visiting America, and he told me that although he had not been to West Virginia, he had been to Virginia. So, of course I told him how great West Virginia is and that some day he should come visit! Then he gladly took a picture with me “say cheers”!

Official Travel Plans

2010-10-31T16:43:00.000-07:00

More details and pictures to come later - after experiencing these amazing countries and places...

I will be spending Christmas in Paris and New Years in Rome!

London to Paris, France - Paris to Lauterbrunnen, Switzerland - Lauterbrunnen to Florence, Italy - Florence to Rome & Vatican City!

Then to Milan for 3 days as I make the trip back to Aberdeen, Scotland!

I joined an organized traveling group of approximately 30 people through a travel agency here – I’m so excited (motivation to get me through loads of coursework)!

Autumn in Aberdeen

2010-10-31T16:31:00.000-07:00

Starting out the Autumn season in Aberdeen with a few Fall time favorites…

1). I made pumpkin soup and pumpkin dessert with cream cheese icing out of fresh pumpkin! I have been informed that pumpkin flavor is not nearly as popular here as it is in the US – they don’t even sell canned pumpkin here – no one had even heard of it. And…practically no one here has ever eaten pumpkin pie! So I thought I would be adventurous and try to cook and bake using real pumpkin. I went to the store, bought an ‘edible pumpkin’ – came home and cooked it, then scooped out the inside, mashed it all up and ‘*ta-da*’ – fresh pumpkin mix!

2). I introduced a few friends to carving pumpkins! I have found that although my friends have heard of carving pumpkins, none of them have actually done it. We had a lot of fun scooping out the messy, gooey inside of the pumpkin, and my friends loved being creative and carving various designs, making very unique jack-o-lanterns. The final touch was lighting the candle, and placing it inside the hollowed pumpkin – overall a huge success and a lot of fun!

3). For Halloween I dressed up as The Statue of Liberty! I felt as if I had to represent America! Everyone loved my costume and had a whole new appreciation for it after hearing my ‘American accent’.

If the leaves here weren’t all wet and gooey (due to the fact it rains nearly every day here, making it impossible for dry leaves) I would be tempted to gather a pile of leaves and jump it them! So my request is that someone does this in favor of me back in The States!

Hope everyone is loving Fall time in America!

Highlights of the Highlands

2010-10-24T12:56:00.000-07:00

I attended the Rotary District 1010 Diamond District Conference. It was the 60th year of District 1010 holding their annual conference which unites the clubs in Northeastern Scotland. The conference was in Inverness – known to locals as the Capital of the Highlands and known to tourists as home of the Loch Ness Monster!

It was a weekend mixed with business and fun – the highlights of my weekend were:

1. Staying in my first ever Bed and Breakfast! I was housed by a local Rotarian for two nights at his lovely Bed and Breakfast accommodation.

2. Going to Loch Ness – “loch” means lake. Loch Ness is the deepest Loch in Scotland, at over 800 feet deep. I traveled to Loch Ness with three other Ambassadorial Scholars who attended the conference, and we stood in awe as we arrived to Castle Urquhart. Urquhart is the ancient Castle, that dates back to 500 B.C., left only now in ruins, due to it being burned later in its 1500 year life. The Castle overlooks Loch Ness, and I can tell you that the Loch is anything but the home of a monster. Beauty, history, authenticity…yes, but no Nessy.

3. Surviving my first Ceilidh Dance. A Ceilidh is the traditional Scottish partner dancing that is done here. It is basically the equivalent to line dancing in the states. I was thankful that all the dance moves were very repetitive, so even my uncoordinated self was able to catch on and sometime hold on! Holding on because the gentlemen often swings and spins and turns the lady around. One of the dances was called “Strip the Willow” – where men line up on one side, ladies on the other, facing each other, then you and your partner spin and “dose-doe” with one another and all the partners down the line. For all of the dances, the music got faster and faster as the song progressed, so you were going triple the speed, compared to when beginning the dance. It was catch on to the dance moves or fend for yourself!

4. Eating Haggis! The Ceilidh Dance started by a very “posh” dinner. “Posh” is the word they use here for “high-class”. The haggis was delicious! The haggis was used as a stuffing inside a chicken breast. When imagining haggis, I thought it would be gruesome and bloody and not appealing at all, but I couldn’t have been more wrong. The haggis had the consistency of a fine stuffing, and was very pleasing. I tried not to think of what I was actually eating – minced sheep heart and liver perhaps, and rather focus on the actual taste.

One Month Anniversary

2010-10-17T18:27:00.000-07:00

As of Monday, October 18th – I am celebrating my one month Anniversary of living in Aberdeen Scotland! How am I celebrating? Toffee flavored rice pudding! One of my new favorites treats here!

Castles - Chapels - Chocolate Cheesecake

2010-10-17T18:26:00.000-07:00

There are moments when I really miss home – all the comforts and seeing family and friends…Then I think about all the unique experiences I am having here in Aberdeen Scotland!

Today was a perfect example - mixed with typical Scottish sights and mini adventures. Starting the day by going for a run, past cottage like Scottish houses made of granite and adorned by chimneys, lined with luscious green grass. The trees are turning colors – shades of yellow and orange, and the wet leaves that have fallen squish under my feet as I run along the sidewalk. Every day I pass meadows of hay bales and today I passed fields scattered with horses and cows, while I was running. I laughed to myself, because these sights are exactly as I had pictured Scotland months before arriving here!

Cleaning, laundry, homework, were also accomplished today – followed by a more exciting drive to a nearby Chapel and then to Drum Castle!

The Chapel was a Catholic Chapel that is still used today for regular church services – filled with wooden carvings and beautiful stained glass. I appointed my new friend, and native of Aberdeen, Angharad, as the official “tour guide” and ambassador for Scotland. After showing me the chapel, Angharad then drove us to Drum Castle, which as enchanting! The Drum Castle was surrounded by a garden, family cemetery, and small chapel building.

Following the mini Aberdeen adventure, was a delicious homemade dinner, prepared by Angharad - who along with being a great tour guide, is also a fantastic cook. She delegated the crushing graham cracker like cookies and the task of chopping up almonds and chocolate pieces to me, as she prepared the rest of the chocolate cheesecake and vegetable pasta!

Angharad and I, with satisfied stomachs, then enjoyed an evening church service together! So moments of missing home have been quickly filled with long relaxing jogs and sightseeing at Castles – not a horrible way to spend a Sunday in Aberdeen!

St. Andrews

2010-10-17T18:25:00.000-07:00

St. Andrews Scotland is known to gentlemen as the “birthplace” of golf and to ladies as the University home of Prince Henry, and is one of the most gorgeously historic and quaint towns I have even visited. Filled with golfers, University students and residents of the town, the street of St. Andrews, and the golf course, was bustling with activity.

The day trip to St. Andrews, about an hour drive South of Aberdeen, was organized by the Rotary, to bring together the Ambassadorial Scholars that are being hosted in the St. Andrews and Aberdeen Rotary District 1010. I met 5 other Rotary Scholars from the United States, 1 from Japan, and 1 from Greece!

Followed by the formal meet and greet of Ambassadorial Scholars and our host families was a tour of St. Andrews. First we were led to the final hole of the main St. Andrews golf course that was surrounded by golf club buildings and golf shops. Golfers scattered across the bright green grass, and along the streets – watching and playing golf. We were then led along the coast of St. Andrews, overlooking the North Ocean, and then along streets filled with cottage like houses, enchanting church buildings, and an abundance of Bed and Breakfast accommodations. St. Andrews’ history is just as abundant as the amount of golfers, and I got to experience walking along historic castle, church, and cemetery remains.

A BIG Thanks to Rotary

2010-10-17T18:24:00.001-07:00

I have been overwhelmed by the support, encouragement and hospitality of the Rotary Clubs and Rotarians I have had the pleasure of meeting in Aberdeen and thus far as an Ambassadorial Scholar. From offering me ride, inviting me to church, taking me to a Bagpipe and Drum Concert, inviting me to their homes and for delicious homemade dinners, buying me drinks, providing me with lunches, taking me to community service events…Rotarians have been nothing but kind, helpful, and generous of their time, resources and energy!

I would encourage any student to apply for the Ambassadorial Scholarship. It has been a very rewarding experience, and I am looking forward to speaking with Rotary clubs around the local area and meeting even more Rotarians in the future.

A perfect example of Rotarian hospitality was the invitation to The Lord Provost Variety Show, which I attended this past weekend as fundraising entertainment for The Lord Provost Charity Fund. The Lord Provost is the political representative for Aberdeen, kind of like a town mayor in America. All of the Variety Show performers – comedians, dancers, and singers – donated their time and talent to assemble the Variety Show. It was a lovely night filled with Scottish entertainment and humor!

Bagpipe and Drum Concert

2010-10-11T10:58:00.000-07:00

I went to my first ever bag pipe and drum concert in Aberdeen this week! And am excited to say that I also saw my first “mass-appearance” of kilts! I was invited by a gentleman in the Rotary to go to a bagpipe and drum concert at the Aberdeen Music Hall and quickly took him up on the invitation. When all my fellow Scottish friends heard that I was going to hear bagpipes and drums, first they laughed at my excitement, and then, they all warned me of how loud it would be!

Regardless of my friends warning and their laughter, I was exceedingly excited to attend the concert and watch the bagpipers and drummers, adorn their traditional “tartans and pipes”. Tartan is another name for the traditional Scottish kilt outfit. The entire tartan outfit, plaid kilt and all, is comprised of a collared shirt and vest, a sporran which is tied around the waist and over the skirt, and knee high socks and shoes with laces that tie up the ankle, gladiator style! A sporran is kind of like a “fanny-pack” and would serve as a pocket, since traditional kilts don’t have pockets.

As much as I admired the tartans I also equally enjoyed the traditional bagpipe and drum music! The bagpipe and drum band we had been watching was a well known and respected band in the area of Aberdeen, competing in and winning world championships! My favorite part of the entire performance were the tenor drummers who would hit the drums, fling their hands in the air and spin their mallets around, and repetitively hit the drum again, keeping the beat perfectly.

Dinner Party

2010-10-11T10:57:00.000-07:00

I have really loved living in my “little Scottish house” – regardless of the fact that we have spotty internet and that when we open the windows (they don’t have screens) that spiders like to come in and visit us! I killed a spider as big as my palm the other day in the shower! When I asked the maintenance man if he could put in any screens, he told me “the spiders here aren’t poisonous”. Hmmm…apparently that comment was supposed to calm my spider annoyance.

I decided spiders and all – to host a dinner party and “get together” for the friends that I have met in Scotland! I practiced my cooking skills and prepared Chicken Parmesan for everyone! We also enjoyed salad, homemade bread (that my friend Angharad had made), and spaghetti! It was a lot of fun to have everyone over! It was also interesting cooking everything and converting recipes from cups to grams and baking in an over using Centigrade instead of Fahrenheit – conversion tables have come in very handy on quite a few occasions!

Before the Dinner Party, I had invited over some girls to bake desserts for the Christian Union meeting at Aberdeen University, where I introduced everyone to “Puppy Chow”! Everyone loved the check mix, peanut butter, powdered sugar and chocolate concoction. Peanut butter isn’t as widely popular here in Scotland as in America and is not often used in baked goods, so I decided to treat everyone here to peanut butter cookies. They don’t even have Jiffy peanut butter in the stores here – which I believe proves my point. I also learned that they call powdered sugar – “icing sugar”, haha you have no idea how long (about 5 times up and down the sugar isle) to finally figure that out.

Mini Road Trip

2010-10-11T10:55:00.000-07:00

I went on a mini road trip to a nearby farm and tea house for lunch with my friend Angharad and her friend Sarah – we drove about thirty minutes away to have a relaxing weekend lunch at the FInzean Estate Farm Shop and Tea Room. I enjoyed what else but more carrot soup – this time carrot and courgette soup. This is when I learned that courgette is actually zucchini. Angharad also pointed out that the Scottish call eggplant aubergine. I am continuously boggled by the use of different “English” words to explain and describe the same thing, eggplant and zucchini being a perfect example! I love picking up on the expressions they use here in Scotland and sometimes try to fit their vocabulary into my own speech. My most recent favorite expression being “That’s Ace” – Ace meaning really cool or neat, and “I’m going to take a nip to the loo” – which would mean I’m going to excuse myself quickly to go to the restroom!

After lunch I decided to take pictures of nearby cows that were a little too friendly for comfort. The cows liked my camera and apparently my attention a lot. I was only separated from the cows by a wooden gate and wire fence – which when yards away from the huge animals, really isn’t that assuring.

Week 2 In Review

2010-10-04T14:56:00.000-07:00

I truly have been enjoying my time in Aberdeen! Moving to a new continent…country…city…school has been very exciting and nerve wracking. At times I look at the granite buildings that line the city streets and the cottage style houses and I am truly in awe of the world and how at any one second millions of individuals around the world are enjoying the exact same day as me!

It has been really fun to meet new people and go to different events across campus and the city of Aberdeen. This weekend I met lots of really amazing students at Aberdeen University’s Christian Union weekly meeting. I met two girls, Daniella and Katerina, who are first year students from the Czech Republic! Daniella, Katerina, and I all enjoyed dinner at an Italian restaurant and the movie “Eat Pray Love” on Saturday as well.

Sunday was filled with new friends! I enjoyed attending church with a new friend, Angharad! It was Angharad’s twenty second birthday, so we celebrated at a nearby coffee shop and enjoyed the cake that she had made – which was delicious!

I also enjoyed time with some of the gentlemen from Rotary this past weekend and dinner with my Rotary host family earlier in the week. The gentlemen from Rotary are so nice, and have really gone out of their way to make sure I feel at home here! My Rotary host family, the McKail’s invited me over to their house for a home-cooked meal of soup, potatoes, corn, venison stew, and strawberry dessert! And the gentlemen from Rotary also treated me to a meal at a local pub and restaurant – lots of delicious meals. I finally know what it feels like to be a “real college student” who appreciates real food and free meals!

This upcoming week is my first full week of classes – tutorial and lectures. I am quickly being reminded that the reason I am here is to pursue a Masters degree, but at the same time wanting to make sure I become part of the community in Aberdeen and really take advantage of all the different cultures and friends who surround me.

Soup!

2010-10-04T14:53:00.000-07:00

I’ve eaten so much soup – I decided to dedicate an entire blog post to it: With the colder weather, that I think I may actually be adjusting to, I don’t mind enjoying a latte at Starbucks and…eating lots of hot soup! Yesterday’s soup was carrot and sweet corn and then for dinner a broccoli type soup my roommate made (he is a very good cook). There is also a soup here called Carrot and Coriander. I learned that coriander is a type of herb. Chili is often added to soup as well, to warm up the spiciness and also the flavor of the soup. I have also tried Spicy Parsnip soup (yes, I was feeling quite adventurous) and a Roasted Red Pepper flavored soup, both which were very good!

Purple Pinkies

2010-10-04T14:12:00.000-07:00

As part of my time here in Aberdeen Scotland, as a Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar, I have the opportunity to take part in various community service projects alongside the member of my local hosting Rotary Club. On Saturday, I took part in my first event with Rotary and a local Cub Scout Troop at a local farm, where we planted crocus bulbs to signify the “Purple Pinkie”.

When I first heard about planting flowers – purple crocuses – with the Cub Scouts, I thought it would be a really fun outdoors activity, to beautify the community of Aberdeen, I had no idea of the significance behind the “Purple Pinkie” Project. It was an interesting name with amazing symbolism and purpose…

I had previously learned that Rotary International’s largest initiative is to help eradicate Polio, a crippling and potentially fatal disease. Although incurable, Polio is easy to prevent, simply by a vaccination – forever protecting the child against this terrible disease!

What I didn’t realize was that, when a child is vaccinated, they have a purple stamp put on their little “pinkie” finger. So each crocus was planted in hopes that it will bloom PURPLE in the spring to signify the “Purple Pinkie”.

Alongside the excited younger boys, girls, and parents of the Cub Scouts and with the lively gentlemen of Rotary, I helped plant 10,000 crocus bulbs on a Scottish hillside in Aberdeen – truly something I never imagined having the opportunity to do, and will most like never have the chance to do again.

Follow My Rotary Involvement

2010-10-01T07:24:00.000-07:00

http://www.zyworld.com/st_nicholas/Ambassadoial_scholar..htm

Little Discoveries

2010-09-29T02:16:00.001-07:00

Newest Aberdeen Discovery: They have a “Rails-to-Trails” here, just like in Morgantown! The Rails-to-Trails, is where the city has converted the old railroad tracks into a biking and walking path for the community to enjoy. I ran to one end of the trail, which led to “Duthie Park”- it was a large park with a pavilion and various monuments and a huge winter rose garden. I love colorful flowers and I’ve been amazed that despite the cold weather, various flowers are still in full bloom!

The Kirk: My newest vocabulary discovery is “kirk” which means church. I went to the kirk on Sunday with a local Rotarian, who invited me along to his church service, a tea and coffee gathering after the service, and then welcomed me into his home for a meal and tea. It has been a pleasure working with and socializing with the different members of the Rotary and I’m looking forward to meeting with various clubs in Scotland throughout my stay here.

Bits of America: I always laugh when I see “American” things in Scotland that I don’t expect – like Subway sandwich, Pizza Hut delivery, Hollister clothing store, a TK Maxx – which is the same as TJ Maxx, and Blockbuster.

The Beach: Aberdeen is a coastal city, so if I go left from my house and run I will see rolling hills and farm land for miles and miles, but if I run to the right, and about 5 miles down the road from my house is the beach! I put my feet in the North Sea for the first time on Saturday, and I predict from the cold wind and weather that the water is freezing too, unfortunately it is not a warm beach.

International Students: Monday night I went to an “International Student Dinner” that was organized by one of the local churches. It has been really fun meeting different members and families in the community as well as many international students. I continue to meet students from across the globe, at the dinner I met students from Romania, France, and Syria. I’m continuing to meet new people every day, and met my first American in Scotland, 10 days in, and you have no idea how nice it was to hear a fellow “American accent”.

First week in Aberdeen

2010-09-24T07:36:00.000-07:00

It has officially been an entire week since leaving America – so I thought a first week update of Aberdeen, Scotland would be in order:

I still don’t really know where much is, I’m slowly learning the bus system here and I’m sure I look extremely confused when reviewing the bus “time table” a.k.a. schedule. Which reminds me that although they do speak English here, and I can nearly always understand what everyone is saying, phrases and words are quite different. My favorite question to answer is “Where abouts are you from in America?”

Some other Scottish phrases I’ve picked up so far: “wee” is used in everyday speech to refer to something that is small. “Lad” is commonly used to say “man”, a “mate” is a friend, “brilliant” is used to describe something that is really great. My newest vocabulary discovery is that “snooker” is a game similar to pool. Everyone refers to my house here as a “proper” house – meaning real or actual. “Fresher” is what they call “Freshmen” here, and I also learned they do not use sophomore, junior, and senior status, it’s just “first, second, third, and forth year”. And “Cheers” is often used in exchange for “thank you”, but is also a way to end a conversation or say hello.

The money is obviously different than American dollar bills – and where as we have four types of coins, a penny, nickel, dime, and quarter – I swear there are a thousand different types of coins here! 2 pounds, 1 pound, 50 pence, 20 pence, 10 pence, 5 pence, 1 pence…their might be more, but that’s all I’ve discovered. Most embarrassing moments have definitely been going to pay for things and not knowing what to hand them, I usually just laugh it off and say “Oh, I’m still learning”, in which people respond with a look revealing they want to laugh at me, not with me!

I’ve not seen a single person in an actual kilt – one of those stereotypical Scottish things, that is not an everyday occurrence. The only people I have seen wearing kilt like, plaid, skirts are the younger school children walking home after school and still in their uniform. When I asked some Scottish friends that I met about kilts they informed that they do represent your “clan” or family – this originated when in war the Scottish were fighting and would use different patterned kilts to distinguish between troops. The Scottish invented the kilt to fight in because it was loose fitting and allowed the men to run and move easily across the terrain made of rolling hills. Still today, men are typically the only people who wear kilts, and kilts are most commonly worn by men at weddings and when playing Rugby. Although two very different occasions, the kilt can be dressed-up with a jacket or dressed-down with boots.

A week in, and I have still not met one American! I did meet a girl who is half American, half Egyptian. She studied in Texas for 4 years during her undergraduate. As soon as she started talking, I picked up a hint of an “American accent” and was stunned that she used “like” in her sentences as much as me! Immediately I asked where she was from.

I have been absolutely shocked by the international community here in Aberdeen and around the RGU campus – I have only met about a third of my classmates, only about 20 students are in my specific program, although I do share large classes with many postgraduate business students seeking a masters degree, and of those classmates that I have met India, Slovenia, Ireland, Taiwan, China, Nigeria, Scotland, and America are all represented! I can’t wait to learn from each other and be immersed in a truly global learning environment. I have also been surprised by the number of students from Nigeria that attend school here – the largest international student groups are from Nigeria and India. I was told this is because of the oil industry that Aberdeen is known for.

I also must admit that I am surprised at the weather here. I had prepared myself for cold, and maybe it was just me trying to have a positive attitude, but I never expected in to be this cold! The weather is a mix of cold, wind, and rain – sometimes separately, and sometimes all at once. It is bearable during the day, but at night, all I want to do is drink hot chocolate and tea, turn up the radiator as high as it will go, and get wrapped up in a big blanket!

I have been spending my free time, when I’ve not been in my “introduction” classes to the university and for my course, scouting out different organizations to get involved in and attending The Christian Union events on campus. I went to The Christian Union weekly meeting, an acoustic night in a local theater, and also to “Amigos” – an International Student outreach held at the YMCA in Aberdeen. Today they had the “Freshers Fair”, basically an organization fair where all the different clubs and societies promoted their causes – I signed up for the Running and Triathlon Club, the Christian Union, a traveling enthusiast organization, and also the Golfing Club, because I was told by many people that I have to take up golf while in Scotland. I’ll keep you posted on the successes of each of these.

If you have any specific questions, or want me to blog on any certain topic, just let me know – e-mail me anytime - Perry.SarahMarie@gmail.com.

“Cheers” – Welcome to Aberdeen, Scotland

2010-09-21T10:15:00.000-07:00

I have arrived safe and sound to Aberdeen, Scotland after a flight from Pittsburgh to New York to London, and finally Aberdeen, Scotland, where I was welcomed at the airport, by my Rotary host family Ron and Annie McKail. The McKail’s took me to my house on campus, and I met my “house-mate”, Sebastian.

Sebastian is from Northern Scotland, and is a first year student at Robert Gordon University (RGU) just like me. He will be studying Computer Science, does martial arts and thankfully is an excellent cook. He told me he would teach me how to cook any time I’d like and has already allowed me to sample his vegetable and minced meat lasagna, curry chili, and carrot soup!

I find myself comparing Scotland to Hong Kong, since the Chinese and Asian culture is the only other culture, aside from America, that I have experience with, and let me tell you Scotland in nothing like Hong Kong! Basically the only familiarity is the fact that in Scotland they also drive on the “wrong” side of the road. The driver’s side is on the right side of the car, making all traffic patterns opposite of what I’m used to. Even crossing the street I have to look for cars in the opposite direction.

The McKail’s have been extremely hospitable driving me around town, treating me to meals, and helping me get acquainted with Aberdeen. The first day they took me shopping for necessities at ASDA (the name for Wal-Mart in Scotland). ASDA is basically the same as Wal-Mart in America, it is just 2 stories instead on one. ASDA also has a McDonald’s attached to it, and I am happy to say ASDA sells Diet Coke! I am so happy Diet Coke is International!

I am excited to try all the different foods, so far I’ve seen a lot of “minced meat and tatties” which is basically ground beef and potatoes. No haggis yet. Rhubarb is apparently a common flavor in Scotland, which I am very excited about because rhubarb pies are my favorite!

Some little highlights of my trip so far have been going for my first run in Aberdeen, I am going to become an expert at running up and down “rolling hills”. So far I have seen at least 3 Starbucks, and lots of places to go shopping. I was also super excited when I found one of the lamps in my room is a touch lamp, haha…sometimes it’s the little things. And just now, Sebastian and I…well okay, just Sebastian, killed a spider in our house. The spider was big, black, and very, very fast!

The weather here is what I had been expecting, rainy, colder, and gray. There have been periods of sunshine, and with them I thankful for the little blessings. I already bought packs of hot chocolate. This cooler weather always makes me want to cuddle up and drink hot cocoa and tea!

I’ve got a week ahead full of orientation, meeting International students, being introduced to my Master program and the RGU Business School. I’m going to check out different organizations around campus and see where I can get involved – the Christian Student Union, a running group, and triathlon club, are just a few of the organizations that have already caught my attention. I did attend my first Rotary club meeting here in Scotland, where I was introduced to just over a dozen older gentlemen and community leaders, who I shared lunch with as they welcomed me to Aberdeen. Everyone is very friendly and I’m looking forward to future adventures, opportunities, and stories with friends – “Cheers”.

Most commonly asked questions – the 411 on Aberdeen, Scotland

2010-09-07T08:12:00.000-07:00

Q: Why Not WVU – Why are you going to Scotland?

A: I was awarded the Rotary Ambassadorial Scholarship to study internationally for 1 year. This scholarship will allow me to complete a Masters in International Marketing Management at Robert Gordon University. I chose Scotland, 1) Because I have never been to Europe before, all my experience abroad has been in Asian countries and I wanted something new and different 2) They speak English in Scotland, and through my scholarship I had to go to a graduate school that spoke English, since I don’t speak another language to a graduate level proficiency 3) The unique 1 year masters program of International Marketing Management – that will allow me to continue on with my undergraduate Business Administration and Marketing Degree

Q: Where exactly in Scotland?

A: Aberdeen, Scotland! It is on the Northeast Coast of Scotland – the third most populated city in Scotland and known as the Granite City/Silver City for the granite buildings that fill the city, along with the gloomy gray clouds that frequent the area. The city is an industrial city, with oil being the largest economic influence in Aberdeen.

Q: Are you going with anyone you know?

A: No. I’m going by myself. I do have a Rotary Sponsor Family who has been extremely helpful, and will be there when I need them, and who have currently helped answer questions and arrange meetings with various Rotary Clubs throughout Scotland. I’m excited to meet new people in the Aberdeen Community through the Rotary and the students at Robert Gordon University – many new friends and connections in store.

Q: Where are you living?

I decided to apply for campus housing, and was assigned to a “uni-home” on campus – it is a little house owned by the University, it is on the Garthdee Campus, the same campus where the Business School is located and the Rec Center, both places I will no doubt frequent nearly every day! It is a two bedroom house with a communal living, kitchen, and bathroom area. I will most certainly be updating on my living arrangements and meeting my new roommate!

Q: Are you excited?

A: Yes, yes, yes, of course! Excited mixed in with anxiously waiting and the nerves of leaving home and excitement of living in another country and going away for school. I’ll of course miss family and friends, but knowing this is what I really want to do, and recognizing what a unique opportunity this is, along with how hard I’ve worked to get here, I feel confident even in every moment of nervousness.

Q: How is the weather?

A: Cold. Average temperature of 50-something degrees Fahrenheit. Average cold temperature in the 30’s – Average High Temperatures in the low 70’s. I hear it will rain everyday – at least for 10 minutes or so. I’ve been told to have rain boots, a good rain jacket and an umbrella on hand.

Q: Have you tried Haggis? Will you try it?

A: Haha. I'll try anything at least once. Definition of Haggis thanks to Wikipedia "Haggis is a dish containing sheep's 'pluck' (heart, liver and lungs), minced with onion,oatmeal, suet, spices, and salt, mixed with stock, and traditionally simmered in the animal'sstomach for approximately three hours. Haggis is a kind of sausage, or savoury pudding cooked in a casing of sheep's intestine, as sausages are... most modern Haggis is prepared in a casing rather than actual stomach".

Summer in Morgantown

2010-09-07T08:06:00.000-07:00

Summer 2010

As I prepare to head off to Aberdeen, Scotland for graduate school in just 10 short days, I have been telling family and friends to stay updated for the next year via blog – I’ll be updating regularly with pictures, traveling adventures, Rotary updates, and day to day life at a new university and in graduate school. But before I jump into posting questions and information about Aberdeen, Scotland – here is a quick review of my life post-college graduation and highlights of my summer...

1. I1. I worked full-time as a waitress at Muriale’s, and Italian restaurant in Fairmont, West Virginia. Working all summer took up a lot of my time – but every penny saved is going to be worth it, when I use it to travel throughout Scotland and Europe!
2. Spontaneously went to a Tim McGraw Concert in Pittsburgh
3. Vacationed with family and friends in Myrtle Beach for the 1^st time ever – and LOVED it!
4. Went camping numerous times – both in locations with no running water and alongside the most elaborate camper ever!
5. Had a very successful Graduation/Send-Off Party and was reminded of all the people who love, support and encourage me, many thanks!
6. Completed my first Sprint Triathlon! Official Overall Time - 1:14:54. I swam 300 yards, then biked 11 miles, then ran a 5K (3.2 miles).Most recently, I’ve been spending every free second with family and friends, while preparing to head off to graduate school in Scotland.

Most recently, I’ve been spending every free second with family and friends, while preparing to head off to graduate school in Scotland.

Graduation

2010-05-25T18:54:00.001-07:00

I have officially graduated from West Virginia University with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration Degree, with a concentration in Marketing. It was a busy week with two graduation ceremonies, one for the Honors College and another for the College of Business and Economics. Everyone has asked me how it feels to be a college graduate, and my response to everyone is that “it definitely hasn’t hit me yet”. Morgantown is and will always be my home, so I know over the years, I’ll always come back to Morgantown and WVU. And I’m also not completely done with school – seeing as how I will be starting graduate school in September. Additionally, my long-term goal is to one day be a professor – so one day my career will be entirely focused around college students. So, yes, I have graduated from WVU, but this is just a chapter of my life that is coming to an end, and I am gearing up for the next big adventure!

So over the summer I’ll be working, finalizing plans for graduate school in Scotland, and preparing for my first triathlon!

Official Race Results

2010-05-05T04:37:00.000-07:00

http://onlineraceresults.com/race/view_race.php#racetop

bib number:	3145
age:	21
gender:	F
location:	Morgantown, WV
overall place:	1122 out of 4109
division place:	39 out of 178
gender place:	250 out of 1660
time:	4:02:59
pace:	9:17
6.8mi:	1:03:14
half:	1:59:46
19.7mi:	3:00:51
lastmi:	8:48

Morgantown Rotary

2010-05-05T04:31:00.000-07:00

http://www.clubrunner.ca/CPrg/home/homeA.asp?cid=579

"On April 29th, Ambassadorial Scholar Sarah Perry shared with the club her excitement over her upcoming year abroad in Scotland. She will study for a Master's Degree in International Marketing Management. The purpose of the Ambassadorial Scholarships program is to further international understanding and friendly relations among people of different countries and geographical areas. The program sponsors academic year scholarships for undergraduate and graduate students as well as for qualified professionals pursuing vocational studies. While abroad, scholars serve as goodwill ambassadors to the host country and give presentations about their homelands to Rotary clubs and other groups. Upon returning home, scholars share with Rotarians and others the experiences that led to a greater understanding of their host country"

Cincinnati Flying Pig Marathon

2010-05-03T05:55:00.001-07:00

I LOVED and Survived my first Marathon! 26.2 Miles - Check! About the Marathon Weekend...

I drove up to Cincinnati with my mom and brother (best support team ever) on Saturday morning. During the day we had to pick up my Marathon Registration packet - there was a huge Expo with vendors at Registration where you could pick up lots of running stuff and there was a ton to see and do. Then and we enjoyed a delicious pasta dinner.

Saturday Morning at 6:30AM the race started - so my mom and I walked from our hotel to the starting line at 5:30AM. It was POURING rain! There was thunder and lightening at the beginning, but that didn't stop thousands of people from running the race.

So soaking wet - with thousands of other runners, we began! There were 20,000 people who took part of the entire race weekend, and 5,000 people who just ran the Marathon...there were so many people that I didn't cross the starting line until 3 minutes after the official start.

It was such a fun marathon - there were tons of bystanders and many of them dressed in PINK and pig costumes. Thank God for the enthusiastic cheering that kept us going and the volunteers who passed out Gatorade at every mile.

Running the marathon was truly a great experience and huge life accomplishment! I was so glad that I decided to run the marathon for Girls on the Run too - because every time my legs started to hurt I would think about the energetic young girls in the program and everyone who donated.

I met my goal of running the entire race - and finished with a 9 minute 27 second pace at 4 hours 2 minutes and 59 seconds! 4:02:59!

I can't wait until the next marathon! Who's with me?

3 Days! Thank you!

2010-04-29T11:28:00.000-07:00

3 Days until I run my first MARATHON!!! And a HUGE "Thank You" to everyone who gave and donated to Girls on the Run - YOU have raised $264 for Girls on the Run! And guess what? I have another month to collect donations...so if you still would like to motivate me in training and support a wonderful afterschool program - click here: http://www.active.com/donate/SoleMates2010/SarahPerry

Training has been going really well - last Saturday I ran 20 miles, so I hoping that an extra 6 won't be too hard. I'm looking forward to actually being in the Marathon environment with bystanders and hundreds of people running with me!

Training for the marathon and looking forward the race this Sunday has kept me distracted from the rest of life and the fact that I am basically finished with my undergraduate career at West Virginia University, and I graduate in 2 weeks! How did graduation sneak up on me?

And in exactly one week, I’ll be celebrating my 22^nd Birthday – so there is a lot to look forward to.

Today I’m going to visit the third through fifth grade girls who take part in the Girls on the Run afterschool program. I’m excited to meet all of them and let them know what a source of encouragement and motivation they have been to me in training.

Also another HUGE “Thank You” to the Rotary of Morgantown – who I also had a chance to speak to and meet with today! Thanks to all of the amazing people in Rotary, I am able to study internationally next year and continue on in my education! Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!

20 Days...

2010-04-12T19:43:00.001-07:00

Missed a few days blogging, but NOT running :) Now we're down to 20 Days till the Marathon, and thanks to e-mail, I've been getting daily reminder e-mails from The Flying Pig Marathon coordinators...

#20 - Become addicted - to Endorphins. Endorphins are the body’s natural feel good chemicals, and are released through exercise. Endorphins are defined as hormone-like substances that are produced in the brain and function as the body’s natural painkillers. During exercise, endorphins are released, and can produce a general state of wellbeing!

Inspire and Donate

2010-04-08T09:15:00.001-07:00

Day 24 Inspiration: One of my favorite quotes is, "A dream is a goal with a deadline". I have wanted to run a marathon ever since I ran my first half marathon 2 years ago - so I knew I had to set a deadline. Lists are also one of my personal favorite forms of motivations and productivity! So make a list, dream, create a few life goals, and set that deadline. Make the most of every opportunity, of every day...

Day 23 Tip: Every true runner goes through at least one pair of running shoes a year. So what do you do with all of those extra running shoes? DONATE them! You can donate your old running shoes to a good cause - to children in other countries, for various recycling efforts, etc. Research ways you can donate your old shoes - and for those in the Morgantown area - donating your old shoes is as easy as dropping them off at MorgantownRunning on Holland Avenue in Westover - just across the Westover bridge from Downtown Morgantown.

For more information: http://morgantownrunning.com/news/

REST.

2010-04-06T19:50:00.000-07:00

Day #25 - One of the reasons I never wanted to run a marathon was because I feared a rest/cross training day. Some of you think this is crazy, you LOVE to rest and do nothing, but my fellow running enthusiasts understand. I thought I would be more in shape if I ran everyday, but I was wrong! In reality, the body actually needs rest days to recover and repair muscles to get stronger.

I learned that taking rest days give your joints a chance to recover. And not to mention, resting gives you a mental break from running. And it's true, I feel more motivated to run when I take a day or two off every week!

Resting from running also taught me that lifting weights and cross training is a lot of fun! So, good news - every once in a while, it's okay to be a couch potato!

Banana!

2010-04-05T12:48:00.000-07:00

Counting Down - Day #26 Tip

Eat a Banana! With just over 100 Calories, this super convenient fruit provides you with nearly 35% of your daily value of Vitamin B6, nearly 20% of Vitamin C, and 15% of Potassium! And keep you fuller, longer, just one Banana, packs nearly 15% of your daily dietary fiber!

Not to mention that Banana's are super affordable and easy to eat on-the-go! And no worries, if your Banana's go bad - you can just make the most delicious Banana Bread. Here is a recipe:

Banana Bread **add nuts for an extra kick of protein** or substitute all-purpose flour with whole wheat flour to attempt to make this treat a little more healthy**

3 or 4 ripe bananas, smashed
1/3 cup melted butter
1 cup sugar (can easily reduce to 3/4 cup)
1 egg, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon baking soda
Pinch of salt
1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour

Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). With a wooden spoon, mix butter into the mashed bananas in a large mixing bowl. Mix in the sugar, egg, and vanilla. Sprinkle the baking soda and salt over the mixture and mix in. Add the flour last, mix. Pour mixture into a buttered 4x8 inch loaf pan. Bake for 1 hour. Cool on a rack. Remove from pan and slice to serve.

Happy Easter

2010-04-04T17:40:00.001-07:00

Happy Easter! Hope everyone had a great Easter Sunday, filled with yummy food, and sugary Easter candy, plus the GREAT reminder of Christ's resurrection from the dead and His saving grace. I was reminded of Christ's constant pursual in our lives, He is always calling us closer to Him and loving us everyday! What good news!

Marathon Training Continues - Long Run on Sunday, and my legs feel like Jello :)

Tip #27 - When you lack in motivation and need a little encouragement, draft a running buddy, or someone who can ride their bike with you and keep you going! **Thanks Mom for riding your bike with me today**

28 Days...

2010-04-03T14:46:00.000-07:00

http://www.active.com/donate/SoleMates2010/SarahPerry

April 3 - 28 Days 'till Marathon - Next 28 Days of running, donating to Girls on the Run, and updating the blog with fun tips...

28 Days Left Tip: When you don't think you can run any more and your lacking in motivation, just download some new songs for your iPOD or reorganize your songs and make a new playlist! Instant Motivation. My new favorite, inspired by the Final Four bound Mountaineers: "Morgantown State of Mind".

Running for "Girls on the Run"

2010-04-03T14:39:00.000-07:00

I decided to run the Marathon for Charity - Read ON and GIVE - it's easier than running 26.2 Miles - I promise!

GIVE - Help ensure a positive future of young women in Monongalia County, by giving to Girls on the Run, while I pursue an individual goal of running my first marathon!

Since 7^th grade, I have run cross country and I love everything about running! For years I have wanted to run a marathon, but have found every excuse not to. So, finally I decided to “just run!” and as I prepare to run my first marathon, I thought what better motivation to keep going, but to not just run a marathon for me – but to do this for other young women and for a cause and program that I am very passionate about – Girls on the Run.

GOTR - Girls on the Run educates and prepares girls for a lifetime of self-respect and healthy living! Girls on the Run is a non-profit prevention program that encourages preteen girls to develop self-respect and health lifestyles through running. Girls on the Run is a life-changing, experiential learning programs for girls age eight to thirteen years old. The programs combine training for a 3.1 mile running event with self-esteem enhancing, uplifting workouts. The goals of the programs are to encourage positive emotional, social, mental, spiritual and physical development.

26.2 - I plan to run the Flying Pig Marathon in Cincinnati on May 2, 2010. My goal is to raise at least $262 for Girls on the Run. That means, just 20 people to commit to giving just 50¢ for every mile I run in the 26.2 mile marathon.

If you would like to give to Girls on the Run and motivate me in training and running – just go online @ http://www.active.com/donate/SoleMates2010/SarahPerry and make a donation or just make a check for $13.10 payable to Girls on the Run – and send it to me at: 94 Terrace View Drive Morgantown WV 26508, no later than April 23.

Semi-Normal Life & A Marathon

2010-03-22T19:30:00.000-07:00

I have officially, as of Tuesday March 23rd - been back in America 3 whole months, and my life is perhaps a tad less adventurous in Morgantown, West Virginia, but it is certainly no less hectic - filled with one major development after another...

Taking a brief hiatus from blogging, nearly 2 months without a post and this is what my life has been filled with/major life updates:

1) I was officially accepted to grad school in Scotland, and plan to pursue my Masters in International Marketing Management, beginning next September at Robert Gordon University. So I've been figuring out all the details that studying internationally and grad school entails...

2) I have been working, working, working at Muriale's in Fairmont (come visit anytime)!

3) Trying to find the motivation to "finish well" in classes - finding I have a major case of senior-itis!

4) Adjusting to not living at home for the first time. Realizing for the first time that dinners don't cook themselves and the trash actually has to be taken out!

5) As of a 1.5 weeks ago - I decided I'm going to finally run a marathon! So I'm training/planning to run the "Flying Pig Marathon" in Cincinnati on May 2!

I have 40 days left of training and thought I would use the next 40 days to challenge friends and acquaintances to also run a race, and post fun running recipes, healthy living tips, or just motivational quotes that keep me going each day on my blog. So here it goes...

Find a local race. Go to: http://www.iplayoutside.com - to find a local race around the Morgantown area. If you want to run a race the same weekend as my marathon - try the Cheat Fest 5K Run & Walk in Kingwood. http://cheat.org/festival/roadrace/.

Print out a training schedule: Go to http://runnersworld.com and click on the "Training" tab. Then go to the "SMARTCOACH" box. Type in the appropriate information, and ta-da! you have a plan!

February = SGA Elections

2010-01-29T08:44:00.000-08:00

February is rounding the corner as January seemed to come and go in the blink of an eye. I knew I would be busy, but January really threw me for a loop! In one month I have been forced back into life in Morgantown and a new and final semester of school. I have studied for graduate entrance tests and applied for what seems like endless graduate schools, senior awards, and grants…not to mention starting a new job, and moving into a new house!

And as February approaches, I am reminded of Student Government elections. I have never gone through February at WVU without taking part of a SGA campaign and election, and it is truly bittersweet.

I am excited for the candidates as they scramble to get together election packets, and as tickets form and organize – labeling thousands of pieces of candy, and painting bed sheets, and putting together their best platform ideas to improve West Virginia University. I am excited for those who take part in the entire election and campaign process. Win or lose – you learn so much about yourself and about interacting with others. It is truly a learning experience, one of which the journey is much more rewarding than the destination.

I am also looking forward to actually sleeping in February, and never having to ask anyone to vote for me!

I wish each and every student who is planning to run for an elected position best of luck, and give the advice to talk to the students and make personal connections. I also encourage each student at WVU to vote in the elections, if for no other reason, than the fact that you have no idea how much time, effort, and energy goes into running a competitive campaign! So come mid-February, do your research on the candidates, talk to the candidates, and make a well-informed vote!

Save Room for Dessert

2010-01-18T07:53:00.001-08:00

Life back in Morgantown has really been non-stop since returning to America, almost 1 month ago. Aside from catching up with friends and studying for the GMAT, my final semester of classes has just begun, and I am happy to say that I am staying very busy thanks to my new job! I was hired to be a waitress at Muriale’s Italian Restaurant in Fairmont, West Virginia.

I absolutely love serving! I’m definitely a “people person” and my favorite thing about serving is meeting new guests at my tables. I also love staying busy, and I’m always on the go as a waitress at Muriale’s!

Muriale’s is a family owned restaurant, and it serves amazing Italian food! My suggestion…save room for dessert! Muriale’s has an amazing chocolate peanut butter pie and tiramisu, but people are always so stuffed that they never make it to dessert.

So come visit Muriale’s, ask for “Sarah” and save room for dessert!

Top 10 "Returning Home" Questions

2010-01-10T19:53:00.000-08:00

As I return to America and people continue to ask me about being in China/Hong Kong, I have had a few reoccurring questions that I thought I would answer:

And I will preface this "top ten" by explaining that Mainland China and Hong Kong are very different! Hong Kong technically is now part of China, but Hong Kong was a British colony for 10 years, and is much more "westernized" compared to Mainland China...so I do not consider myself having studied in China - just Hong Kong!

1. 1. Can I speak the language?

No, unfortunately not. I only know 4 words. The language is Cantonese, which is a dialect of Mandarin Chinese. Cantonese has 6 tones, instead of 4 tones – which means it is harder to learn and speak! However, I can hear the difference between Mandarin and Cantonese, which I consider a success.

2. 2. Did I have a good time? Do I want to go back?

Yes – I had an amazing time, and I would go back in a heartbeat! I could definitely see myself working in another country for a few years at a time, but who knows what the future holds?

3. Did I like the food?

Yes and No. I had a few favorite dishes, but for the most part I felt like I was always eating starch and sauteed vegetables. So I am very, very happy to be home and able to eat American food.

4. 4. How close was the campus to the city of Hong Kong?

My school was about 45 minutes away from the “Central” city of Hong Kong, and I absolutely loved living on campus! Most awesome college experience, living in the dorms as a senior, in a foreign country!

5. Did I stand out? Did people stare?

Of course. I was a head taller than everyone, and I was blonde!

6. Could the people of Hong Kong speak English?

Yes, most of the people of Hong Kong could speak English, at least everyone on my campus could. Sometimes it would be hard when I went out to eat. The reality is that even if they can speak English, it is their second language and it is not the language they used in everyday conversation. So if they were not speaking to me, they would not use English.

7. Do I have reverse culture shock?

Yes! It is extremely weird being back home in “country” West Virginia, around tons and tons of “white” people, no tall buildings, and tons of personal space! I was so crowded and so used to tall buildings everywhere! It is also strange that I can understand other people’s conversations, and that I never have to wonder if someone is understanding me.

8. Did I make friends?

Of course! Most of my friends were actually from Hong Kong, so I miss them so very much! And my closest exchange friends are Sunny, Melyssa, and Laura, three girls from the Chicago area!

9. Am I glad to be back at WVU?

Yes and No. I definitely loved the fact that I only had to pass my classes in Hong Kong, so I will miss that, but I love WVU! I’m excited to finish up my senior year and have fun doing it!

10. What is next?

I will graduate in May, I will hopefully be working over the summer, and then I am off to graduate school in Scotland or the UK in early fall. Thanks to an international scholarship that I received through the Rotary, grad school is paid for! So right now, I am in the process of applying to graduate schools in Scotland and the UK.

After returning home yesterday, from a conference organized by the Rotary, I was reminded of the importance of connecting with others and sharing your life, your adventure, and your experience with other people. So I will most certainly continue to update my blog.

This semester is sure to be a very, very busy one – one that I am looking forward to!

Home Sweet Home

2010-01-03T16:37:00.000-08:00

Finally, after being home 11 days, I am having the time and opportunity to update my blog. I survived the 15 hour plane ride back to America, and the jetlag that came along with the trip halfway across the world. And now that I have seen family and caught up with as many friends as possible in a week and a half – I’ve barely had time to think about reverse culture shock…

I’ve spent my last week and a half, celebrating Christmas with the Perry family, Christmas shopping in Pittsburgh TWICE, celebrating the New Year with one of my best friends, and enjoying the beautiful wedding of Ashley and John Michael – now Mr. and Mrs. Bonasso!

It has been so good to reconnect with friends and I am enjoying sleeping in my own, so comfortable bed! I am enjoying American food and all the things I was without for four and a half months. I am continually shocked by the cold weather when I walk outside, and have refused to step outdoors, unless I absolutely have to!

My favorite moment of this week was when I was at the WVU Men’s Basketball game vs. Marquette, for many reasons. First of all, we won a very entertaining game, secondly I LOVE Mountaineer basketball and the pride at WVU! I missed the WVU/Mountaineer pride so much! Thirdly, after the game was over and the crowds of people were leaving the game – shoulder to shoulder exiting the coliseum, I was packed around tons and tons of people and as I shuffled through the masses, I was reminded of being back in Hong Kong. For once in my life I enjoyed the crowded/overwhelmed feeling of being surrounded by people and really enjoyed the moment.

As life continues on in Morgantown, I’m sure many other Hong Kong reminders and memories will be unveiled, and I’ll be excited to share them...

“Make friends everywhere you go – because their happiness is yours"

2009-12-21T08:27:00.000-08:00

Bittersweet…is exactly how I would describe my preparation to leave Hong Kong after 17 weeks studying abroad here. I’m excited to go home and see my family and friends, to celebrate Christmas and New Years in West Virginia, and to return to West Virginia University for my final semester of college. But I am also so sad to be leaving Hong Kong. I have had an absolutely amazing time here! Everything about Hong Kong and studying abroad far exceeded my expectations – I love my new friends, both new Hong Kong friends and exchange friends, and I love the adventures of a different place, I love the different culture, I love exploring new places, I loved only having to pass my classes…so many new loves!

Finals are over and packing is nearly finished. I fly home tomorrow – get home just in time for Christmas Eve and Christmas, with a little time before the holidays to make some Christmas cookies!

My last few days in Hong Kong have been filled with the enjoyment all of my Hong Kong favorites – my favorite restaurant, my favorite popcorn, my favorite stores, my favorite running path. And of course all of my favorite people!

I even fit in some exploring and movie watching in between all the “goodbyes” – trying to keep myself busy/distracted...so I wouldn’t focus on coming home! So I enjoying the new Twilight and Avatar movie and I went to see the “Big Buddha” in Hong Kong. The “Big Buddha” is a huge, huge Buddha on Lantau Island. You can take a 20 minute cable car ride to the newly constructed Buddha and monetary. The “Big Buddha” is as much a tourist attraction as well as a place of worship – filled with both foreigners and the smell of burning incense.

How I will miss you Hong Kong…

Eternal Opportunities

2009-12-14T06:20:00.000-08:00

The English Bible Exploration that I have helped lead at Lingnan University took part in Operation Christmas Child this year. Operation Christmas Child is the international, non-profit, Christian organization that collects shoeboxes filled with toys and delivers them to children in need around the world! You fill the shoeboxes with toys for a boy or a girl; pick the appropriate age group and then Operation Christmas Child ships the shoeboxes to countries where kids are presented with the Gospel and a shoebox filled with toys and gifts!

2009 was the first year for Operation Christmas Child in Hong Kong! The English Bible Exploration put together a total of 8 shoeboxes and last week I delivered them to the Processing Center in Hong Kong!

The Processing Center is the final destination for the shoeboxes before they are shipped to their designated foreign country! The shoeboxes from Hong Kong will go to Sichuan, China and Manila, Philippines!

The Processing Center was in on the edge of an old industrial building area in Hong Kong. There were hundreds of old warehouses and industrial buildings! And on the edge of this industrial park, by the water, just beside a city of millions of people – there was a HUGE banner for Operation Christmas Child…

Inside the building there were around 15,000 individual shoeboxes, and hundreds of large cardboard shipping boxes filled with gifts, ready to be delivered to China! Seeing the Processing Center, all shoeboxes, cardboard boxes, the volunteers, and the extra toys – it was one of the most awesome experiences I have had in Hong Kong.

I was reminded that night of all I have and all I have to be thankful for, I was also reminded to do “eternal” things and help others. It was a reminder to strive to everyday do something of eternal significance, whether it is a smile, an encouragement, inviting someone to church or Bible Study, packing a shoebox filled with gifts, or giving money to someone in need…

If every day and every deed, every moment was filled with eternity – that would truly be a life well lived, and that would truly be “making the most of every opportunity!”

Island Hopping

2009-12-06T06:58:00.000-08:00

This weekend I went “Island Hopping” around Hong Kong. On Saturday, I took a Ferry to Cheung Chau Island. Cheung Chau Island has been a fishing village since 1400’s and all day long the ports are busy with the comings and goings of the fishing boats. There were boats, fishermen, and tons and tons of dried and fresh fish everywhere (you can imagine how it smelt)! Overall, it was a relaxing day. I explored different walking paths and temples around the island and enjoyed watching the boats float along the island shores.

Then on Sunday I went to another fishing village on Lantau Island, called Tai O. Tai O is known as the “Venice of Hong Kong” – many of the houses are held up by wooden stilts and we watched as small fishing boats floated in and out of the canals surrounding the houses.

It is crazy how just a 30 to 40 minute ferry ride away from the bustling, high-class, business city of Hong Kong, are beautiful and peaceful islands, where the people live simple, quaint lives. And even though it is a week into December, the weather is still beautiful, sunny with a cool breeze – making the day perfect for a stroll along the Hong Kong island beaches and walking paths.

The countdown continues as I only have two more weeks left in Hong Kong – sure to be filled with studying for finals, visiting with friends, and exploring the last few places in Hong Kong that I still haven’t seen!

Pre-Christmas "Hot Pot" Celebration

2009-12-03T01:01:00.000-08:00

This week was officially the last "gathering" of English Bible Exploration. We have been meeting every Tuesday, for just over 2 months learning about the Bible and enjoying fellowship! We had students from Hong Kong, Columbia, America, Mainland China, and Malaysia all attend English Bible Exploration. For the final meeting of English Bible Exploration, we made it an outreach where we all invited our friends to a traditional "Hot Pot" Dinner...

The day started when I went shopping for "Hot Pot" ingredients with my exchange friends from America - we took the opportunity to shop for dumplings and tofu - all the traditional "Hot Pot" ingredients we won't be able to find in America! We also stopped at the "Wet Market" to get cheap vegetables and Japanese noodles. The "Wet Market" is where locals sell their own meat, produce, and a variety of goods from spices and sauces to flowers. The "Wet Market" is about 10 minutes from campus and on the ground floor of a large complex that has shops, restaurants, and a grocery store...

We then "set-up" for dinner - found Hot Pots, decorated the Hostel Common Room, washed the vegetables, put the dumplings on plates, divided the dipping sauces...

Friends arrived and we had a great night! I was so grateful for everyone that showed up! I had met up with long-term missionaries in Hong Kong earlier this semester and they traveled over an hour to come join us for dinner and see the ministry opportunities at Lingnan. We also welcomed our guest speaker for the night, Pastor Dale and his wife Pam. Pastor Dale shared the "good news" of Jesus with everyone over dessert!

The night consist of friends singing Christmas carols, students sharing their "story" and testimony of how Jesus has changed their life and how English Bible Exploration has shaped their time at Lingnan University, taking pictures with friends, and of course...eating tons and tons of dumplings!

The Pre-Christmas "Hot Pot" Celebration was truly a celebration of friends and fellowship! It has been amazing to see the provision and the opportunities for ministry placed right in front of me this semester at Lingnan and in Hong Kong! It never ceases to amaze me - "'For I know the plans I have for you', declares the Lord, 'Plans to give you a hope and a future'."

Bible Update

2009-11-28T02:51:00.001-08:00

Just wanted to send out a little update about English Bible Exploration…

Thank You, Thank You, Thank You – I am so happy to say that all 15 of the Bibles have been “sponsored” by individuals! Praise God!

The last Bible Exploration lesson concluded last week – but this upcoming Tuesday, we are having an outreach/Christmas Party, an opportunity for those who have been attending Bible Exploration for the last 2 months, to invite their friends to enjoy Christian fellowship and encourage the students to share their faith. Last week in Bible Exploration we talked about the importance of sharing your faith and the “good news” of the Gospel with others. It has been so great to see the Bible Exploration grow in depth and see everyone become more comfortable in sharing their thoughts about the Bible and Jesus with everyone! Such an encouragement and joy.

I’ll be sure to have another update about the Christmas Party – fun things are in store!

Thankful

2009-11-28T02:49:00.000-08:00

Being in Hong Kong, in a completely different culture, experiencing life away from everything normal…away from family and friends, experiencing the typical college “dorm” experience – having a roommate, and floor mates…traveling to foreign countries, basically my entire environment and lifestyle for the last 4 months has been everything but normal – nothing I’ve been used to…

And being in a new environment, around so many unfamiliar things, dealing with so many unfamiliar circumstances…it really makes you “thankful” for things you’ve never realized before! So this thanksgiving I give thanks for those things that I didn’t realize I loved and was so thankful for, until having this opportunity to come to Hong Kong…

1.   Friends! I never realized how awesome my friends are until having to make completely new friends! I love my new friends in Hong Kong and am so thankful for them as well – but I am especially thankful for those friends that I have made in college!
2.   Family! It’s been so great to see my family express their love for me as I’m halfway around the world. I’ve loved the cards, e-mails, and even Facebook comments. For all the encouragement and excitement they have showed during this whole experience…
3.   Being a Mountaineer! There is really no school spirit here at Lingnan, and definitely no football games. I miss the Gold&Blue and truly LOVE being a Mountaineer!
4.   My mattress – honestly, I’ve said it before, but I never realized what a necessity a mattress is until sleeping on wood and “foam” for 4 months!
5.   Running and the Rails-to-Trails in Morgantown! I love running and found a running path in Hong Kong, but I never realized how many beautiful and different places there are to run in West Virginia!
6.   Seasons – as much as I love the warm weather, I really enjoy seasons! I like fresh leaves of Fall and beautiful snow of Winter!
7.  English – the fact that I can speak the “International Language” – this makes my life a lot easier! Unfortunately I still don’t understand any form of Chinese.
8.   My Car – Public Transportation is great, but I now appreciate having the ability to drive, it’s just so much more convenient!

There are so many more little and funny things that I’ve realized I’m thankful for…like can-openers, air conditioner, Crystal Light packs, ovens, coffee makers…I could truly go on for days! Even when I’m back in America and it’s not Thanksgiving, I hope every day, I can realize all the things I’m thankful for!

Thanksgiving Week

2009-11-28T02:48:00.000-08:00

It is weird to think that it really is November and Thanksgiving was just the other day – the weather is still beautiful here, around 80 degrees every day, there were no funny fall, pilgrim or turkey decorations, no Thanksgiving break, no Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade…

So since there is no official Thanksgiving “day” in Hong Kong - last week I celebrated Thanksgiving ALL week!

To start out my week, on Monday, Lingnan University held a “Thanksgiving Day Gathering” that I attended. It was a Thanksgiving themed dinner – with a slideshow attempting to explain Thanksgiving traditions and history – the slideshow was funny, because Thanksgiving has a great story and history, but in reality it’s a day to give thanks, eat tons of food, spend time with family, and watch football! Then everyone enjoyed trying different Thanksgiving foods! There were over 300 students there, mostly interested students from China who wanted to experience the traditional Thanksgiving Holiday festivities. I explained to the Korea girls that I sat with that if this was really Thanksgiving dinner, you would eat until you felt like you were going to explode! I have loved sharing my culture (as strange as it may be or sound) with others and making “global” friends! Then we all made “hand turkeys” and traced our hands and in the middle of the “hand turkeys” wrote what we were thankful for!

To end my Thanksgiving week, last night I was invited to a traditional Thanksgiving Dinner by my exchange friend’s aunt from America! One of my new exchange friends from the Chicago area, Sunny, her aunt and uncle live and work in Hong Kong and they invited us to their apartment for Thanksgiving!

It was so nice to be in a house full of family and friends and kids! Sunny’s cousins are the same age as my brother and sister and seeing them play games, it made me miss my brother and sister so much! It took all of my restraint not to start playing video games with her cousin!

Her aunt made delicious turkey, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes casserole…all the traditional delicious-ness of Thanksgiving. Plus it was really neat to have Thanksgiving in Hong Kong, because there were also delicious “Asian” inspired dishes like curried cauliflower, sesame green beans, and dumplings! Probably my most memorable Thanksgiving ever!

Shopping, Pizza, & Latte Breaks

2009-11-22T05:25:00.000-08:00

How is it that Christmas music always puts you in a good mood? As I walked through a mall today in Hong Kong, I was greeted by Christmas decorations, Santa figurines, and Christmas music! I am sure glad that Hong Kong celebrates and recognizes Christmas, since it does not celebrate Thanksgiving. I sure have missed seeing funny Turkey decorations everywhere!

As another week in Hong Kong comes to a close and as another busy week begins, I am reminded that I now only have a month left in Hong Kong. I fly back to America on December 22^nd, just in time for Christmas!

My week was busy with school work, projects, papers and presentations. This week I have another 4 presentations! I have learned more than I have ever expected about cross-cultural communication, as I am the only native English speaker in all of my groups. Although frustrating at times, it truly has been a great social learning experience.

Breaks this week from studying and school work included going shopping at local Hong Kong markets, going out to eat with exchange friends at a delicious pizza place called “Fat Angelos”, going to church, and finally enjoying a Holiday Toffee Nut Latte at Starbucks.

As always, “Making the Most of Every Opportunity” and Finishing Strong in Hong Kong!

Hong Kong's Best Dance Crew...

2009-11-17T07:13:00.000-08:00

Two girls who live on my floor – Belinda and Fani – asked me to go to their dance performance tonight. They are both on the Lingnan Dance Team, and I thought Belinda and Fani were ballet or jazz dancers – they are both about 5 foot and the cutest girls you’ve ever seen, so sweet…

But the Lingnan Dance Team is not jazz or ballet – it’s hip-hop! So I just went to the most “gangster” hip-hop dance performance! There were tons of students there and dancers/students even came from other campuses around Hong Kong.

Belinda and Fani are hip-hop dancers! I laughed and had a great time as I watched the students dance to crazy hip-hop remixes – they were actually really, really good and I was so impressed with the choreography!

Day in the Life...

2009-11-16T07:59:00.001-08:00

So while I was talking to my mom on Skype last week...some girls knocked on my hostel door (this happens often - many of the student organizations on campus promote their activities by going door to door in the hostels)...

And my mom said, "Sarah - what was that about?"

And my response was, "I have no idea. Honestly, I never really know what's going on - and I've just become okay with it"

And then I realized that it was so true - life in Hong Kong, all the confusion, and weird activities have become strangely normal to me in the last 3 months...

I no longer expect anyone to know or understand English, I don't even expect people to talk to me in English, I now find English to be "privilege" not a "right".
If people don't stare at me or take pictures, I think something is wrong.
I no longer remember what any food tastes like - all I know is steamed rice and vegetables, and the occasional McDonald's ice cream cone.
I now know how to convert Celsius to Fahrenheit, and actually know about how warm/cold it is when someone says "16 degrees".
I have gotten used to the constant back pain caused by my pathetic excuse for a mattress and I actually don't remember what it feels like for my back not to hurt.
I know that when someone says "football" they actually mean soccer.
I can't imagine living in a space bigger than approximately twice the size of my closet at home - maybe 2o feet long by 12 feet wide.
I don't remember life before public transportation and walking everywhere.
I am now the master of dividing all prices by 7.7 - trying desperately to mentally convert the price to USD.
Sadly, I completely forgot about Thanksgiving coming up, because Thanksgiving is only in America!

And I'm sure that there are so many more strange things that I no longer realize are strange or different!

So now I'm off to bed - remembering that there is a 13 hour time difference from Hong Kong to America, and that WV is just now starting it's Monday. So have a good Monday, enjoy speaking English, and smile when you see a funny turkey or pilgrim decoration in celebration of Thanksgiving...

Operation Christmas Child

2009-11-16T07:58:00.001-08:00

In addition to school work and studying, I am also helping to organize Operation Christmas Child with the English Bible Exploration. This is the first year Operation Christmas Child is collecting shoeboxes in Hong Kong! Check out the link for more info:

http://www.sp.org.hk/en/operation_christmas_child

All of the shoeboxes collected in Hong Kong will go to children in the Phillipines and Mainland

China!

Macao Trip

2009-11-16T07:44:00.000-08:00

This past weekend I went to Macao - an Island about an hour ferry ride away from Hong Kong. Macao is known as the "Vegas of the East" - gambling, nice hotels, and more gambling!

I stayed one night in Macao with some of my exchange friends - we hotel/casino hopped...first to the MGM Grand, then to The Sands, then to The Venetian. The Sands Casino was definitely the prettiest - with shining chandeliers that looked like giant icicles, but The Venetian was built with an indoor water canal, which was really neat!

I think Macao would have been more fun if I actually thought gambling was amusing :/ However, it was a fantastic "get-away" in the middle of hectic weeks filled with final presentations and group projects.

Danielle Bartlett - Making Wishes Come True

2009-11-11T03:40:00.000-08:00

English Bible Exploration is continuing to go really well, last night we talked about having an eternal perspective! It is such an encouragement to hear everyone’s questions as we learn more about God’s Word. In addition to the actual Bible lesson, I also gave all the girls the opportunity to write to Danielle Bartlett.

Danielle Bartlett is a young girl from Richwood, West Virginia fighting cancer (malignant brain tumor). She is around 12 years old. Her “wish” for the Make a Wish Foundation, was for one thousand cards to be sent to her. She could have went to Disney World, she could have asked to meet her idol, but no, a thousand cards is what she wanted!

The girls from Hong Kong and China who attend Bible Exploration had never heard of the Make a Wish Foundation and were excited to know that such an organization exists and that they could take part in fulfilling a “wish”!

All of the girls wrote letters to Danielle and today I sent the packet of letters and pictures to Danielle in the mail! I heard about Danielle through an e-mail that was passed along to me, so I thought I would continue to “spread the word”.

If you would like to write Danielle a card - you can! Here is her address:

Danielle Bartlett

260 Country Club Rd

Richwood, WV 26261

As I study abroad in Hong Kong and as I reflect on Danielle’s sroty, I am continually reminded of all I have and how fortunate I am even at a young age!

If you would like to sign Danielle's guest book or leave her a comment in addition to sending her a card you can do so at:

http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/daniellebartlett

Horse Races and Markets

2009-11-07T07:58:00.001-08:00

This week was another full week in Hong Kong! Wednesday some of my exchange friends and I went to the Horse Races. Horse Racing is one of the only legal types of gambling in Hong Kong, so it is very popular among both locals and tourists.

We all decided to bet on a race and for healthy competition we all choose different horses! I choose "Victory Conquedor" to win the race, but he only came in second, so I didn't win anything. But one of my friends, Melyssa did win! She bet $20HK and won $27.5HK. Only about $1USD more than she bet, but she was still a winner! We had a ton of fun cheering on the horses and yelling for our favorite jockeys.

On Friday, I went to another temple in Hong Kong. There are tons of famous temples scattered throughout Hong Kong and the one we went to was about an hour away from campus. A lot of the temples have similarities, like tons and tons of buddhas, burning incense, and the temple is usually accompanied by a shrine and multiple "offerings" like fruit and flowers. But it is really neat to see the differences too - like this temple shrine was very similar to the architecture in Thailand and was covered with glass and mirror mosaic tiles. The inside of the temple was covered with golden buddha and angel figurines that jutted out of the ceiling.

Then after visiting the temple, we went to "the markets" - the "Fish Market", the "Flower Market", and the "Bird Market" - all three markets are about a 3 minute walk from each other. All of the markets are open air shops, so they are right off the street and the whole front of the store is open - there is no door. All of the dozens of shops are door to door. So fish store, after fish store...all selling tons of assorted fish. It really looked like a carnival - there were just hundreds of plastic bags filled with goldfish, hanging and covering the walls and entrance of the stores!

Then we went to the bird market, where there were shops were lined with bird cages and birds! My favorite were the bright yellow canaries.

And the best part about the flower market, was the smell! The fresh smell of flowers smelled so good! The flower market was beautiful, with all the different colorful flowers. I was amazed.

Unfortunately, I am actually having to do more school work - in the next 6 weeks I have all of my final exams and final projects and papers! So for the next 6 weeks I really will be "studying" abroad....and of course, exploring more of Hong Kong!

Sponsor A Bible!

2009-11-04T02:13:00.000-08:00

Last night was the 5th Week for English Bible Exploration! Last night we talked about “Stepping from Feelings of Unworthiness to Forgiveness” – talking about confession of your sins and knowing that Christ forgives us 100% even though we are 0% perfect! After English Bible Exploration we all made “Hot Pot” together. Hot Pot is where you boil all kinds of dumplings (vegetable, pork, fish), fresh vegetables, and noodles in chicken broth and water! Everyone had so much fun making dinner together!

I was also able to meet up with a local missionary on Sunday and order Chinese/English Bibles for everyone who has been attending English Bible Exploration!

I ordered 15 Bibles. Each Bible is $20 – so if you would like to “Sponsor a Bible” you can send a gift of $20 (check made out to Sarah Perry) to my address (94 Terrace View Drive Morgantown, WV 26508). After sponsoring a Bible, I will send you a biography of the person your Bible is going to, and a “thank-you” letter from them, so you can personally see exactly who and how your offering is changing lives!

Happy Halloween and Happy November

2009-11-03T02:46:00.001-08:00

I got back from Thailand a week ago – I can’t believe it, time truly flies! It is November already…and as of today; I only have 49 days left in Hong Kong! I have loved my time studying abroad – traveling, making new friends, experiencing new cultures!

On Halloween a group of exchange student friends and I dressed-up to go to Central – the main city area of Hong Kong. We heard that Central was very crowded on Halloween, but we had no idea what we were about to get ourselves into!

Imagine New York on New Years, but with people all dressed up in crazy Halloween costumes! The police were everywhere and herding people in fenced in cages along the streets! Nearly all of the streets were blocked off – and to get to the main bar district of Central where everyone celebrates Halloween, there was a line that wrapped around 4 or 5 city blocks! Of course, we weren’t going to let a line stop us, and waited in line for just over an hour!

I dressed up as an angel! When I was traveling in Beijing I found angel wings for $1.75USD, and I made my “toga” angel dress out of a white bed sheet! Tons and tons of people were taking pictures of me! It was like the paparazzi like I’ve never experienced before!

Happy Halloween from Hong Kong and Happy November!

Thailand Slideshow

2009-10-31T22:44:00.001-07:00

There were too many Thailand pictures to put alongside my

blog - so I thought I would try a mini-slideshow...

http://flickr.com/gp/sarahperry51618/608FNW

These are pictures that help explain my blog posts from Bangkok and Phuket!

Ko Phi Phi Island

2009-10-31T01:03:00.000-07:00

For our last stop in Thailand, Amanda and I took an hour and a half long boat ride to the gorgeous island off the shore of Phuket, called Ko Phi Phi Island. Ko Phi Phi is the most beautiful places I have ever visited!

The giant island/landmasses, look like tropical mountains, and effortlessly jut out of the crystal clear water! I have never seen such transparent bluish, turquoise water. And the sand was extremely white – the whole scene was truly tropical paradise!

We arrived in Ko Phi Phi with no accommodations, but knew that would not be a problem, since people were always shouting at us from the sides of the roads in Thailand and trying to sell us things. Sure enough, crowds of Thai approached us as soon as we got off the boat, saying “stay in our hotel”, “go snorkeling with us”…

Amanda and I quickly found a nice air conditioned, beach side hotel and a tour to take us snorkeling!

Snorkeling was so much fun! I had never been snorkeling before and absolutely loved it! We went on a snorkeling “tour” that took us to 5 or 6 different islands on a wooden, motored, banana boat. First we went to “Monkey Mountain”, where we were able to go interact with the monkeys that lived there. Long story short - Amanda was getting a picture with one and it bit her! The bite bruised instantly and she was pretty shook up. She was okay, but needless to say, we jumped back on our boat and headed to the next location.

Next we stopped at the most breathtaking “swimming hole”. Our banana boat driver led us into an enclosed swimming area that was surrounded with mountains towering out of the glassy blue water.

Next was the actual snorkeling. The water was so clear that I could see all the fish and coral perfectly beneath me. Mounds and mounds of coral, came to life right in front of my eyes! It was crazy to see the live coral completely undisturbed by my snorkeling intrusion. And the fish swam all around me! Not dull, ugly, brown and gray fish – the fish I saw and swam beside were the most gorgeous of neon colors – bright blue, yellow, and orange!

We ended our island tour by going to Maya Island (where the movie ‘The Beach’ was filmed). Our banana boat let us off on one side of the island – we had to climb up and over rocks, make a short trek across the island, to arrive at the opening of Maya Island. I truly cannot explain how beautiful it was – only pictures can do it justice! So check out the pictures I post!

The day ended with watching the sunset in our banana boat!

Festival - Elephant Trekking - Hot Oil Massage

2009-10-24T06:29:00.001-07:00

After updating the blog at 5AM - I went outside our hostel to watch the Vegetarian Festival activities and parade...the Vegetarian Festival is held for nine days - ALL day long! The street outside our hostel is filled with people dressed in all white, which is suppose to symbolize cleanliness. People fill the sides of the streets selling all kinds of meatless food - mostly fried vegetables and fried dough. In the middle of the street, nearly all day long, people parade doing different ritual activities. At 8:30AM there was the self-mortification, where men would pierce their faces with object of all sorts - knives, metal rodes, guns! It was crazy! Women would parade down the street in bare feet, chanting and bowing down to Buddha statues and shrines stationed along the street. At around 11:00AM there were men parading a huge paper dragon up the street and people would put money in the "dragons" mouth! Then around 1:00 I thought there was an army/war outside our hostel! For a good hour people paraded up the street carrying Buddha statues and setting off fire crackers! The people on the side of the street were all down on the ground, with the food they were selling covered - protecting themselves and the food from the debris of the firecrackers and fireworks! The whole Vegetarian Festival had been such a cultural and crazy experience (I can't wait to post my pictures!) Even now, at 8:00PM people are still setting off the occasional firecracker, outside playing music and enjoying tons of fried festival food!

In between life at the hostel and the Vegetarian Festival, Amanda and I had a full day...Amanda wasn't feeling well, so while she was sleeping in, I took a bus to Patong Beach and enjoyed the beach for a few hours (I love going to the beach in late October!)

Then at 2:00, Amanda and I went Elephant Trekking! We went to a nearby "safari park" and rode elephants! It was so awesome! Elephants are amazing creatures - I was amazed at how they had been trained to sit and stand and even perform! Then after elephant trekking we went to an elephant show, where part of the show was getting an "elephant massage" - I was asked to lay on my stomach and the elephant tapped on my back with his huge foot! Then the elephant gave me a "kiss" with his trunk! The trekking was a bumpy ride, but Amanda and I laughed and enjoyed watching the elephant as he climbed the muddy hillsides and tried to eat plants with his trunk!

After elephant trekking we came back to Phuket Town and got hot oil massages! 60 minute massages for $15USD - it was so relaxing and so needed! Amanda and I laughed because we were willing to pay $15 for a massage, but only $11 to spend the night at our hostel!

Phuket Town

2009-10-23T16:48:00.000-07:00

Amanda and I arrived in Phuket yesterday, we took a quick 1 hour flight from Bangkok to Phuket and then nearly an hour bus ride to our hostel in Phuket Town. Phuket is known for its glamourous beaches and has become very touristy and commercialized over the past decade - so Amanda and I decided to really experience the culture and stay away from the tourist packed beaches, in the southeastern part of Phuket.

We are staying at "Backpacker Hostel" in Phuket Town - this is where I am updating my blog now, thanks to the free internet! This is my first hostel experience, and I am loving it! It is pretty nice for a hostel - great location, great common area/living room with community chairs, kitchen, big screen TV with a wide DVD selection! I couldn't really sleep last night - so I just got up at 5AM and took a shower in our ghetto hostel bathroom - the toilet and shower are right next to each other...no shower curtain, or really seperate shower at all...there is a hot water heater to heat the water, and the sink drains into an open pipe that empties out on the floor! There is no A/C, because Amanda and I are cheap - so we are paying $11 USD a night for a fanned room.

The location is great and the atmosphere is even better! Our hostel is on the main street in Phuket Town, and right now it is the annual Vegetarian Festival in Phuket. The Festival celebrates the Chinese community's belief that abstinence from meat cleanses the body. Last night when Amanda and I toured the main street of Phuket Town for dinner we were bombarded with meatless-fried food options! We ate fried spiral potatoe on a stick, fried donut-like bread balls, corn on the cob, and fresh fruit...

Today we are going to watch a very exciting/gruesome part of the festival...a ceremony to "invoke the gods" where people partake in firewalking, body piercing and other acts of self mortification. Men and women puncture their cheeks with various items including knives, skewers and other household items. It is believed that the Chinese gods will protect such persons from harm, and little blood or scarring results from such mutilation acts!

Considering I can't even watch people give blood at blood drives...I don't know how long I'll last...but I'll try to get a few pictures!

"Yes I'm Fine - No I don't need a Tuk Tuk"

2009-10-23T16:29:00.000-07:00

Best part of Bangkok was for sure the location of out hotel and the street vendors selling delicious spring rolls and fresh fruit. All of our meals have been around $1-$3 USD! So cheap! I also loved the Grand Palace, The Temple of the Emerald Buddha, and the Reclining Buddha...

However, what I didn't like about Bangkok were the "tuk-tuk" drivers and the con-artists! Around the touristy areas of Bangkok - exactly where we were - it is the hunting ground for professional con artists! And Amanda and I, as two white girls...we stand out and practically shout "foreigner"!

Slick talking men would come up to us, in English, and start complimenting us, asking where we are from, asking how long we've been here, asking where we are going, asking if we need help, asking if we are lost...and then they tell us that the sight we are going to see is closed for the day. Then after telling us that our chosen destination is closed, they offer to take us on a boat ride and can arrange a bargain tour for the day...

Thankfully I had bought a tourist book that warned against such scams but, this happened so many times! Finally, Amanda and I were like "Yes, we know, it's closed...we don't need your help" - ahhhh leave us alone!

Then there were the "tuk-tuk" drivers who are out to make a commission by dragging tourists to a local silk or jewelry shop, when you have requested an entirely different location! The "tuk-tuk" drivers will offer you a ride for $5 or $10 Baht and then drive you to some completely obscure location! The men driving the "tuk-tuk's" would say..."tuk-tuk, tuk-tuk, excuse me miss, where are you going....$10 Baht, $10 Baht...excuse me miss where are you from where are you going....Big Buddha...no it's closed...tuk-tuk, tuk-tuk"!

"Yes I'm Fine - No I don't need a Tuk Tuk"

Bangkok was amazing - and 2 days was definitely enough to see and do everything we wanted to. I had experienced Bangkok and was so ready to head off to our next destination in Thailand...Phuket!

Lost in Bangkok

2009-10-23T16:07:00.000-07:00

So it was bound to happen...we get lost! We must have disrespected the Buddhist gods, because our luck was horrible! However, it makes a great story...so here we go...

Amanda and I woke up to enjoy another day in Bangkok. First we decided to go back to Wat Pho - to see the huge reclining Buddha that we realized we missed...

After Wat Pho, Amanda and I jumped in a taxi to take us across the river to the Temple of Dawn...an hour later, after never crossing any river, the taxi driver stops in the middle of traffic, points to the side of the road and a monument nearby and motions for us to get out - we obviously were not in the right place and we had no idea where we were! Amanda and I had been warned of dishonest cabbies who would take you for a ride around the city so they could earn a few extra Baht! This cabbie got us, $120 Baht later - we were stuck somewhere in Bangkok!

So Amanda and I get out of the taxi and ask the people on the side of the road where we are...well turns out we are in the middle of the main metropolitan of Bangkok, completely on the other side of the map compared to where we told the taxi man to drive us!

So Amanda and I figure out we can take the above ground subway, called the SkyTrain to a few more sights around the city. In the city we saw the Erawan Shrine and our first McDonald's in Thailand - we even got a picture with Ronald holding his hands together and bowing, like every devout Thai.

Amanda and I jump back on the SkyTrain to go to a local market and shopping street - and then it happened...Amanda and I got off the SkyTrain interchange station to transfer to the next train...and we lost each other. Amanda ended up crossing the station platform and quickly jumping on another train she thought was ours, while I headed down the escalator! "Where is Amanda...where is Amanda?" She is shorter than me and has brown hair, so she isn't really easy to spot.

We lost each other! After a half an hour of waiting to see if she would come back and searching the station I was at, I decided to just go back to out hotel - I figured she would have to come back eventually! So, luckily I found a lady who spoke English and she instructed me to go to a nearby hotel, she said "Just walk in like you are a guest there, look in the souvenir shop, look like you are going to buy something, just walk around for a while, and then ask them to call you a cab. Don't hail a taxi - they will probably just take you for a ride!" I knew she was right, so I did it - I went to this really nice hotel, they called me a cab, and an hour later...I was back to our hotel!

Long story short is that Amanda came back to the hotel too - and when we saw each other we just laughed and laughed and laughed!

At night Amanda and I were sure to stay close to each other as we explored the night markets and ate more delicious spring rolls! Oh Thailand...

MuayThai Boxing

2009-10-23T15:53:00.000-07:00

Amanda and I ended our night in Bangkok by going to see Muay Thai Boxing at Ratchadamnoen Boxing Stadium. There were 10 rounds - five fights in each round. And the headliner fight was round 7!

Amanda and I are cheap, so we decided to buy the outer circle - 3rd class - seats! This is where all of the Thai men who are gambling and betting on the fights stand, yell, and throw their hands in the air, screaming out their next bet and yelling for their chosen boxer! The environment was intense to say the least!

Amanda and I sat on the outer edge of all the men betting and screaming and were able to sit down to both enjoy the fights and also to be entertained my the shouting Thai men!

While watching the Mauy Thai Boxing I saw so many high-kicks to the ribs, it was sick! And every kick to the rib and every hook to the jaw was followed by an echoing "Ah, Ah" from the routy Thai gamblers.

Thailand Journey...Beginning in Bangkok

2009-10-23T15:18:00.000-07:00

I'm writing this blog post from a hostel in Phuket Thailand! But first, let me tell you about about Bangkok...

Amanda (a fellow Mountaineer, who is also studying at a different university in Hong Kong this semester) and I left for Bangkok Tuesday night. After the easiest and most amazing plane flight we took a taxi to our hotel. The hotel itself wasn't much, but the location was awesome! It was like a little backpacker haven, with streets of restaurants, bars and street vendors - selling everything Thai and delicious! Fried rice noodles, fresh fruit in a bag, fresh fruit smoothies, and Amanda and I's favorite...spring rolls with sweet and spicy Thai sauce!

Our accommodations were also a ten minute walk from the most famous sights in Bangkok...The Grand Palace, The Temple of the Emerald Buddha (Wat Pha Kaew), and Wat Pho.

The Grand Palace is where the former king of Thailand used to live and it is right beside The Temple of the Emerald Buddha - which was breathtaking! The temple itself is covered with colorful glass-like tiles. Some of the tiles were colored and mirror-like, reflecting the sun and making the temple shine. The ornamentation of the temple is to rever the Emerald Buddha that is housed inside!

Behind The Grand Palace and The Emerald Buddha is Bangkok's oldest and largest temple, Wat Pho. Wat Pho houses the Thailand's biggest reclining Buddha, 46m long and 15m high - this position illustrates the passage of Buddha into final nirvana. However, at the time, Amanda and I didn't know this temple was where the huge reclining Buddha was, and we missed it! We didn't even see the huge Buddha, you "cannot miss"! So we had to go back the next morning - and it was so worth it!

The Buddha was really huge and really amazing to see. The huge female Buddha is made out of plaster around a brick core and finished in gold leaf. The biggest, golden Buddha I've ever seen! The feet of the Buddha were also huge and covered with mother-of-pearl. The mother-of-pearl was in a textile/design displaying 108 different characteristics of Buddha!

The rest of our day was dedicated to more sightseeing around Bangkok. We saw the City Pillar Shrine, Democracy Monument, and the Golden Mount - which is a temple that overlooks the city of Bangkok.

Then we ended our day with...Muay Thai Boxing!

Ocean Park

2009-10-18T01:39:00.000-07:00

This weekend I went to the famous Ocean Park in Hong Kong. Ocean Park, is a marine themed amusement park offering tourists and locals the thrills of roller coasters, and the relaxation of viewing sea creatures and pandas.

Ocean Park is built into the “mountainside” and coast of Hong Kong, so as I rode around and around on the roller coaster, my view from the coaster tracks was of Hong Kong beaches, ocean water, and gorgeous, lush mountainsides!

Ocean Park was a lot of fun! I absolutely love aquariums! Viewing all the huge, colorful fish and ocean life was my favorite part of day! I loved seeing sharks, huge sting rays, fluorescent jelly fish, and all the unique fish!

Ocean Park is also known in October for its haunted houses! At night Ocean Park is filled with “ghosts” and “ghouls”! We didn’t stay for the thrill of the haunted houses, because just walking through the park with all the scary monsters and creepy creatures was enough!

The best “monster” was a guy dressed in black face paint and tattered clothing, with blood and the whole “gory” costume…but with the addition of knee and wrist pads. So he would sling himself across the ground on his knee and wrist pads, making the scariest grinding sound! I screamed so loud and ran so fast when this creature slung himself at my feet!

Other than Ocean Park, I have been keeping busy in Hong Kong with school, midterm projects, papers, and presentation.

I leave for Thailand in 2 days! I am so excited! Many more adventures and blog posts to come!

Funny Story

2009-10-16T09:15:00.000-07:00

Today I had to do an interview with a manager of a local business in Hong Kong for a group assignment. The interview was in Central - the main, city part of Hong Kong. So after the interview I decided to get some dinner.

I was excited because Central has a lot of delicious western food, that I never eat during the week. Since my regular meals at Lingnan University’s canteen consists of steamed rice, vegetables, and soy sauce, I was looking forward to the delicious “Greek” restaurant, that served spicy, salad and feta filled wraps! It was a small side restaurant with just 10 or 12 chairs and only 6 tables, located right off the street…

As I was enjoying my Greek wrap for dinner, I was also writing a paper that is due next week. I was pretending like I was at Panera, studying and eating at the same time.

So next I get up to get a Diet Coke, and while I am at the counter, an older Chinese woman comes into the restaurant asking for money. I was at the front of the restaurant and didn’t even realize the woman was there since I was waiting on my Diet Coke…

Diet Coke in hand, I returned to my work and my table…

But my delicious wrap, which I was only half done eating, was gone!

“Oh my gosh, I though…that woman took my sandwich!”

Then in shock, I said it out loud, “That woman stole my sandwich!”

Then I just started laughing! The restaurant employees were really upset and were going to go try to find the lady, but I insisted it was “fine”. “It’s okay, It’s okay…” I kept saying in the middle of laughing…

I was so shocked that the lady actually stole my half eaten sandwich that I couldn’t be upset. I could just imagine her thought process, “No one is giving me money…I’m hungry…no one is sitting here…there is a sandwich all alone on the table…I’m going to take it…”

HaHaHa! Then…a lady from across the small restaurant offered to buy me another sandwich and she said she felt like it was her fault that the woman took my sandwich, since she didn’t give the woman any money!

I just smiled and said, “Oh, no thank you, I’m fine”…and continued to laugh to myself.

So, yet another unexpected day and series of events in Hong Kong. I never do know what to expect!

Connecting Globally

2009-10-15T05:44:00.001-07:00

"Everyone should study abroad, I've experienced

and learned so much" haha!

WVU Homepage

http://www.wvu.edu/

Check it out!

Time Flies

2009-10-11T07:41:00.000-07:00

I hope everyone is enjoying the pictures, stories, and adventures from China! I've been back in Hong Kong a week already...time flies! I've been so busy catching up with friends, catching up with schoolwork, and uploading tons of pictures, that I can't believe another week is gone!

This week was the first Bible Exploration! It went really well and 6 girls came - a girls from Colombia, a girl from China, two girls from Hong Kong, and two girls from America! A truly international Bible Study! No one is in need of a Bible yet...but I'll keep you posted.

After a busy week, on Saturday I relaxed at a local beach in Hong Kong. A group of exchange students and I went to Stanley Beach to enjoy the Hong Kong 80 degree weather!

Realizing that time truly does fly...another countdown officially begins today...9 days until I head off to Thailand! I can not wait, but I'm sure it will be here sooner than I anticipate!