Scholarly Experiences

I have been so busy that I have hardly had time to write about my experiences thus far as a Rotary Scholar.

Link weekend
I hadn't been here more then a week before I had my first Rotary event at Leicester (pronounced Le-ster). All of the scholars studying in England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland and Northern Ireland were invited to this cute town in the midlands for a retreat. The highlight of the weekend was meeting the other scholars and spending time with my host family- Rotarian Kevin and his wife Elisa. We managed to see the National Space Center, meet the Mayor, and have a Barn Dance (I still can't really explain what that means, but definitely an experience :)














*Myself, Rotarian Kevin and fellow scholar Angelo; Mayor of Leicester speaking to the scholars

District conference
My host district, London 1130, had its conference a few weeks ago in the seaside town of Eastbourne. We had amazing weather and it was the perfect weekend getaway from London. This was a great opportunity to see Rotary in action here and meet Rotarians from other clubs Nicole Dryburgh shared her truly inspiring story with us - by the age of 20 she has achieved amazing things despite being deaf, blind and wheelchair-bound from her fight against cancer. She is now raising money for the Teenage Cancer Trust.


Bush Hill Park Club
My host club has been very gracious- inviting me to club meetings and their annual Fish and Chips event at the Motor Museum. I have been assigned a host counselor, Dan (pictured here with his wife Wendy, another Rotarian) to help me throughout the year. It has been fun to get to know them and I look forward to many more events in the upcoming months.


Socializing with my fellow scholars
Not surprisingly I have spent a good bit of time with my fellow scholars. Whether at a wine and cheese night, or meeting up at a pub, we always manage to have fun and inevitably end up talking about the various British things that astound us (examples- how inefficient banks are in London, why the tube line you need never seems to operate on the weekend, etc). Here are just a few of my favorites.














*At a pub with two scholars who are also studying at LSE; at the London Symphony this past week.

On the Defensive

I am simply exhausted. You would think it would be due to the immense workload or the intensity of my schedule. No, I am exhausted from being an ambassador. I cannot keep track of how many times I defended Israel this week; whether through spontaneous conversations about the Middle East or loaded questions about Israel's role in prolonging the conflict, I have constantly been on the defensive. And it is exhausting! I knew that this year in London would have its challenges, and especially with respect to my birthplace, but I never suspected that I would have to exert this much energy to showcase the various dimensions of the conflict that people don't hear during a 3-minute news bite. Very intelligent people have tried to simplify the problem to simply Israel as an aggressor or occupying power without realizing the complexities and nuances behind these powerful words. Some fail to learn their history before making harsh judgments. This afternoon my professor compared Israel to apartheid South Africa- a statement that beyond just being unbelievably upsetting, if perpetuated could have serious implications on how Israel is treated by the international community (as if it isn't ostracized enough already!)

It is very isolating to constantly feel like you have to defend your country. Don't get me wrong, I don't agree with all of Israel's policy decisions- just like I don't agree with a lot of U.S. policies- and I can criticize both because I feel a) informed and b) have an interest in actually improving the situation. What upsets me most are those people that just make statements who have little understanding of the region and its history and whose positions just perpetuate an already sensitive situation, rather than being solution-oriented. The precariousness of this balance is further demonstrated by the way that Israelis have to engage themselves while living abroad. Last week the Israelis at Goodenough met to discuss what events we want to host this year for the community and how we want to "appear" to outsiders. No other community has to think so critically about the image that it sends to the rest of the college because it is so loaded and quick to be judged. Israel and the Middle East conflict has become such a weighty issue that each action or lack thereof impacts others' perceptions.

I recognize that I need to displace this feeling of "bearing a responsibility" because it will become too much at times. But by nature I CANNOT ignore misrepresentations or half-truths - not of Israel or any other issue. I am a student after all because I want to engage with others in serious discourse that challenges us to think more critically about ideas and beliefs that we hold to be true. I expected others to want to do the same and I hope that is still the case... I am willing to do that with my own beliefs.

You Can't Take the Mediterreanean Out of the Girl

I went to the dining hall today to see what was on the menu for brunch. Seeing the many varieties of pork products, dough items, and a sorry selection of cereals, I turned right around and headed to my local grocery store. As I was standing in line to pay for my chosen items, I realized that you can tell a good amount about a person by looking at his/her grocery basket - is s/he a snacker, has a sweet tooth, a health nut, an organic food junkie, etc. Needless to say mine is quite representative of my Mediterranean background. Items of choice:

• Fresh bread
• Hummus - a must
• Mozzarella cheese - you can never go wrong with cheese
• Olives
• Wine - I will be bringing it tonight to a friend's party
• Cucumbers and tomatoes (I am really missing the small Israeli cucumbers... they are so much tastier than the falic looking ones that are sold in the US and UK)

Even though I am loving that cheap Indian and Chinese cuisine is always available here, I am missing my Israeli food right now. Bon appetit :)

Returning to the Classroom... As a Student!

It is hard to believe that I am actually a student again, after a four year hiatus. Last Friday I had my induction to DESTIN (Development Studies Institute at LSE) and I was at the edge of my seat the entire time, I was so excited. My aunt makes fun of me because I guess one year at the end of the summer as we were shopping for school supplies I said something to the extent of "I love school... and I love getting organized for a new school year." I guess not much has changed since then because I was just as giddy hearing my professors describe their background, interests and the classes they teach. All of the classes looked so good I wasn't sure if I would be able to actually choose. The department encourages us to audit anything that we are interested in that we aren't taking for credit... so needless to say I will be sitting in on MANY classes. I am just making sure that my Ambassadorial Scholarship is being maximized!
*Hopefully my classwork will be a bit more thorough and intelligent...

A Very London Week

I have been trying to soak up London as much as possible before school starts. And I am quite proud of myself for all that I have accomplished. Here are just a few of the highlights:

My college (community where I live, not my actual university) organized a tour of the House of Parliament and it was amazing. We started the tour at Westminster Abbey, the famous church which was originally built in 1066. it is an incredible Gothic building that is still used today for most large state affairs. During the 1834 fire, the crews prioritized Westminister Abbey because of its lengthy history, forfeiting saving other parts of Parliament which had to be re-built later on. The building consists of both House of Lords and House of Commons. There are so many interesting tidbits about the building itself and British traditions that I won't be able to adequately explain them but I highly recommend the tour so that you can see it for yourself. The best part of the tour was that we got to meet an actual Lord, who turned out to be Jewish. He was quite thrilled to learn I was born in Israel and spoke to me in Hebrew.

My well-connected college also happens to have a box at the Royal Albert Hall and does a drawing for each performance. I managed to win the tickets for last Saturday's show which consisted of several conductors leading the Northern Sinfonia and the Philharmonic Chorus. There was also a guest appearance by The Priests, a group of three, shockingly, Priests who are VERY musically inclined. They have become an international sensation and have a top-selling album. The hall is absolutely gorgeous, designed like a Roman amphitheater with great acoustics. Again, highly recommended!

The Courtauld Gallery has a highly-regarded collection for its size. It is best known for its impressionist and post-impressionist work, including famous pieces by Van Gogh, Monet, Renoir, and more.

My family from Israel came to visit me for five days and we had a great time exploring the city together. One of the highlights was visiting Borough Market on Saturday morning to see and taste some of the fresh produce. It was freezing along the river but well worth it.













Fresh local mushrooms; my niece and I :)

A church has been sitting on the property of what is currently St. Paul's Cathedral since 604 AD. The current cathedral was designed by Sir Christopher Wren and built between 1675 and 1710 after its predecessor was destroyed in the Great Fire of London. Located at the heart of London, it has a great view of the city... after climbing some 400 stairs.

My friend and I bought the cheapest tickets for Shakespeare's Globe Theater, which require you to stand in the "yard" of the famous theater right in front of the stage. Despite the aching feet by the end, we loved seeing Love's Labour's Lost the way it was truly envisaged by Shakespeare.

Arrival and Chance Encounters

There is something quite magical about arriving at a new destination- the limitless opportunity to re-create yourself, the recognition that in a year's time you will look back and remember fondly the awkwardness of trying to navigate a new city and a "new" language (British English is quite distinct from American English), the anticipation of starting school anew. Few things are as exciting as moving abroad- alone no-less- to embark on an opportunity that can completely change your life's course. As I arrived at Goodenough College in central London last week and settled into my small but adorable room, this realization crept up on me... that or the pure jetlag and exhaustion. I was so happy to be in my new home for this next year.

I have spent the last week running around London to get a feel for the city and to accomplish my tasks before school starts next week. Simply having a cell phone and a trusty London map book called A-Z (pronounced zed) made me feel more settled. It was only after a few days that the magnitude of this move dawned on me. I was power walking to Hyde Park and back, a nice hour and a half long walk, and saw literally more people in one place than I have ever seen before. The best way to describe it is like exiting an enormous sports arena or concert where there isn't an inch of extra space between you and the next person. Everyone was in a hurry to get to their destination, rushing past or alongside me. Even with my ipod in my ears I could feel the pulse of the city vibrating. And people were speaking so many different languages and looked so different from one another. It wasn't culture shock, it was CULTURES shock. I am living in a city of over 8 million people, representing every country on earth. London isn't just British, it is also Dutch, and French, Iranian, Pakistani, Nigerian, Indonesian and so many more. The challenge with living and studying in London is decoding its conglomerate culture and idiosyncrasies.

I was thinking about this as I returned from the tube (subway) today after a lovely lunch with a former colleague of mine. As it is Rosh Hashana, the Jewish New Year, it is customary to share meals with friends and loved ones. I was in my own world walking alongside the park back to my room when I noticed three religious Jewish men. As I walked past them I said "Shana Tova" ("have a sweet new year") and continued on my way. One of the man quickly turned around and said "Shana tova, have you heard the shofar yet?" (The shofar is made from a ram's horn and is blown everyday during the first month of the Jewish calendar to remind us of the sins that we have committed the previous year so that we may correct our actions for the new year. It is considered a mitzvah, or good deed, to hear the shofar). I sadly realized that this is the first year that I hadn't heard the shofar on the new year as I hadn't gone to synagogue. He hurriedly pulled out the prayer book, said two prayers and then took out a shofar... he did the entire collection of callings, a good 3-4 minute show, standing next to the soccer field. I, totally astounded by the gesture and peculiarity of the situation, stood by and listened as people walked past, some staring quizzically, others averting their eyes. The man finished the set of calls and wished me a sweet year filled with success and happiness. As I slowly continued toward my dorm, I smiled broadly realizing that my own culture and heritage is also weaved into this fabric that is London and remembering that I am never alone in this city.

Shana tova u'metuka -- May it be a sweet and good new year!

Scrambling Until the Very End

It has hard to believe that I actually started "preparing" for London in May 2008 when I flew back to the U.S. to interview with the district scholarship committee. And today, 17 months later, I am actually leaving. Needless to say the time between these two events hasn't been always been so fluid and seamless but right now I am ready to embark on this next step in life.

I will spare my two readers the tireless details of applying to graduate school, re-locating (twice) and going through the process of saying good-bye. Only one event really sticks out in my mind as worth sharing- the dreadful visa process. My American passport was going to expire while I would be in London so I had to get a new passport. However because I was going to be traveling internationally I had to wait until I returned from Israel to apply. I needed to time the whole process perfectly- so having learned from Teach For America the art of backwards planning I mapped out the entire process of applying for a passport and visa. I knew it would be tight but there was no alternative. The first challenge was that my family was going on a cruise in honor of my mom's 60th birthday exactly 2.5 weeks after I sent my passport to get renewed. So I sent it overnight and crossed my fingers, hoping it would return in time.

Thanks to great customer service at U.S. institutions, it arrived in the nick of time and the family was off on a great cruise to the Bahamas and Mexico. (Aside- We got off the boat at Nassau, Bahamas and greeting us was a sign with the Rotary Wheel and their meeting schedule.... truly a worldwide organization!). During the previous month I had been preparing for the visa process which is quite possibly the most intensive background check possible- transcripts, visa letters, offer letters, bank statements, pictures, and the promise of your first born (just kidding). The Monday after we returned from the cruise I was off to get finger printed, kissed my massive envelope of important documents and sent it off to the UK Consulate in Chicago. I had four week until my scheduled flight on Saturday Sept 12th.

By Thursday Sept 10th I had still not heard anything and was ready to call United to see if it would be possible to change my flight. To my surprise a pleasant woman with a strong British accent called Friday morning to assure me that she had just completed approving my application and that the visa would be printed and should arrive in Minneapolis by Friday afternoon, the day before my scheduled flight.

Unfortunately I had missed that famous brown van known as the UPS guy Friday afternoon and was scrambling to find out where my package was located and how to get it before UPS shuts down for the weekend (Another aside- UPS asks "What can BROWN do for you?" how about staying open every day?! just a thought!). Turns out the van carrying my package would be back at the Maple Grove center at 7 pm, one hour before they close. I rushed there and made it 20 minutes before the center closed, frantically opened the package to ensure it was actually MY passport with a UK visa in it. It was in fact mine and at that moment a month's worth of stress and anticipation melted away.

So in a few short hours I am off to London via Chicago to begin this next amazing chapter in my life. Now that the bags are packed, my passport is at hand and my mile-long-to-do list has dwindled, I feel totally at peace. I know there will be bumps along the way but having gotten this far, I am also confident that it all works out... somehow.