There and back again

I arrived safely back in Edinburgh at 7AM yesterday (Monday) morning after a whirlwind two weeks in the US of A.  My flatmates surprised me with an early-morning sendoff, complete with hot chocolate, PB chocolate cookies, flowers and a very thoughtful card.  It made my week, and I couldn’t stop smiling the entire way to the airport! Unfortnately, I was not in the Lehigh Valley long enough to see many of the people I miss very much!   But it was so good to return home: hug my parents, defrost in front of the woodstove, exercise with Dad, play cards with Mom, eat my favorite American foods and sleep with my puppy.  After a terrific day at home (featuring a delicious birthday dinner: steaks w/mushrooms and onions, Mom’s famous Caesar salad, and pumpkin custard) I left for a mock interview at Gettysburg College to prepare for the 3 medical school interviews ahead.  I detoured through Baltimore on my way from Gettysburg out to the University of Pittsburgh, for a dose of American Football with fellow birthday girl Maggie:  Steelers over the Ravens 23-20 J I was lucky to spend two days leading up to my Pitt interview with Grama, Grampa, and Uncle Dave in Butler.  Grama was diagnosed with Stage IV breast cancer in September, but she has fought her way back to remarkable health.  I very much enjoyed spending time with her and the family, decorating for Christmas and chatting over British tea time! Pitt Med was impressive, a great program with lots of clinical opportunities and flexibility to individualize the 4-year curriculum.  After a full day of interviewing, I relaxed with Gettysburg pal Alex and my brother Jon at FatHeads (best sandwiches in PA).  I arrived back in Emmaus just long enough to unpack and repack before heading to Louisiana for an interview at Tulane University.  Alysha, celebrating her 25^th birthday took off from work and joined me for a long weekend of sister time, exploring New Orleans together for the first time!  We did the French Quarter, Frenchman’s St, Bourbon Street, and the Warehouse district the first two days (complete with jazz music, Hurricanes, Hand Grenades, and delicious Cajun food) before enjoying a relaxing Sunday at the aquarium (petting stingrays, feeding parakeets), insectarium (we ate bugs! and walked through the butterfly garden), and IMAX.  I felt pretty good about my interview, which lasted all day Monday.  Tulane embraces a ‘work hard, play hard’ mentality, which has always been my personal motto.  We arrived home very early Tuesday morning, when Mom surprised me with a hotel room for both of us- she was driving down to Virginia with me for my final interview! VCOM is a fairly new, osteopathic college partnered with Virginia Tech.  I think this interview went the best (perhaps with two under my belt), and I was super impressed by the high-tech facilities and gorgeous anatomy lab.  All three programs were very unique, with different pros and cons to each.  I should hear back from all three schools by the end of January! I was so glad to be able to spend time with each member of my family while interviewing- they made it such a special trip home J

I spent last night and all day today working on an assessment that is due this Thursday (yikes!).  I registered for fiddle classes beginning in January, and I am off to a Christmas ceilidh tonight (work hard, play hard- always!)  Tomorrow Giulia, Susi and I are braving the ice rink for some Christmas ice skating!  I don’t have any fun new Scottish words this post…but I’m sure after Christmas with a Scottish family I’ll make up for it next week J Wishing all my friends and family at home a wonderful holiday and Happy New Year!  And to all the Pizor-Yoders:  as I’m not there to defend my title as reigning champion in the annual tournament, I guess I get to carry it through 2013?!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Apologies for the long delay since my last post!  I’m having trouble with my computer staying on longer than 5 minutes before ‘blacking out’.  I didn’t realize how reliant I was on my laptop until it stopped working!! 

Scotland vs All Blacks scrum

Scotland got crushed by the All Blacks last last Sunday, but the game was AWESOME! My flatmate Giulia celebrated her 23^rd birthday on the 14^th and I got another lesson in Italian cooking with Susanna while we made her birthday feast J I spoke at the Inner Wheel Club on Saturday the 17^th, which is an all ladies group associated with, yet independent from Rotary. I got to join ladies from around the whole district for coffee before their quarterly meeting..they’re doing really great work, and have just proactively opened up membership to women not affiliated with Rotary (previously, members were wives of Rotarians but with increased participation of women in Rotary, this membership pool is quickly dwindling!) Saturday night, I had the treat of seeing Jackie’s choir (Edinburgh Royal Choir Union) perform at St. Cuthbert’s Church.  They compiled a unique progression, beginning with a Stravinsky Mass, followed by a Mozart Wind serenade, and concluding with a powerful Bruckner Mass.  Jackie was in her element- and it was really great to see her doing something she is so passionate about! Last weekend, Edinburgh hosted a fiddle festival Friday-Sunday.  I went to a ‘Try the Fiddle’ session on Sunday afternoon, and decided at its conclusion to enroll in weekly fiddle classes beginning in January! Whoa!! Tuesday was the best Ceilidh yet, and for the first time Susanna joined me and LOVED it…I think I have a convert! But the highlight of this past week was sharing in my favorite American tradition with my flatmates and friends.  Caitlin, Stevie and I collaborated on the making of Thanksgiving dinner for our flatmates:  turkey and stuffing, mashed potatoes with gravy, green bean casserole, sweet potato casserole, cranberry sauce, and pumpkin and grasshopper pie. Cait and Stevie sang Thanksgiving songs (why don’t we have one Yoders?), we told the Thanksgiving story, and went round table sharing what we are most thankful for! It was the hardest day yet to not be home, since TG is such a special day in my family..but I was very ‘thankful’ for skype to be able to see family and guests! 

Thanksgiving in Edinburgh!

After a great weekend, I’m heading into a final week of classes before FLYING HOME on Friday! I’ll be turning 23 in Emmaus, Pennsylvania before heading cross state to spend time with my grandparents and interview at University of Pitt School of Medicine! Alysha and I leave on the 7^th for New Orleans where we’ll celebrate her birthday and enjoy some quality sister time before my interview at Tulane on the 10^th.  I’ll be flying back on December 16^th to spend Christmas and world-famous Hogmanay in Edinburgh.  The city is magical right now, with a ferris wheel and ice skating rink newly added to Princes Street, lights, decorations…it is stunning!

First Gaelic vocabulary:  Sláinte (which literally translates to ‘health’) is used as ‘cheers’!

Shakespeare, Guy Fawks and James Bond

HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my Aunt Nan and Nana on November 9^th and 10^th! I am so lucky to have these two wonderful ladies in my life! I love you both very much and send you all the best wishes on your birthdays from across the pond!



Rotary Scholars at International Night in Portobello

I cannot remember time ever flying by as quickly as it is now!  It has already been two weeks since Italy..whoa! I gave a talk at the Rotary Club of Musselburgh last Monday and on Wednesday enjoyed some more Rotary fellowship at the ‘International Night’ hosted by the Rotary Club of Portobello.  We had a great dinner followed by entertainment (by the scholars…surprise!)  


What papers do to students..

Thursday night, Jackie and I had a delicious dinner at Darios before heading to Lyceum Theatre to see a modern interpretation of Shakespeare’s Midsummer Night’s Dream…it was a neat twist on a classic play and the costumes were great! I was living in the library last weekend and early this week, working on my first assessment which I submitted on Thursday…14 pages, 30+ references (what a relief to hand in!)  I celebrated with some QM friends after hand-in with a great dinner, Ben and Jerry’s, and the new James Bond movie, Skyfall, at Ocean Terminal. 

 

 

Craigmillar Castle

Monday was Guy Fawkes Night, commemorating the unsuccessful ‘Gunpowder Plot’ of 1605.  My flatmates and I walked into Holyrood Park and caught the tail end of a fireworks display in town.  Lots of people were having their own firework displays (much to the dismay of the police), and the field as well as Arthur’s Seat and Salisbury Craig were alight with sparklers and lights..really beautiful! As another break from studying, I went for a run on Tuesday (intentionally getting lost) and found myself approaching the backside of a magnificent castle.  I scaled the wall (unintentionally avoiding the ticket office) and spent two hours exploring the remains of Craigmiller Castle, built in the 15^th century.  It was magical walking through all the rooms:  the grand hall, courtyard, basement- all incredibly well preserved.  I can’t imagine what it was like in its heyday.

Later that night, I went to the Scottish Parliament’s Cross Party meeting on International Development with some colleagues from my Social Development Policy and Practice class.  We heard from campesino and indigenous representatives all the way from Colombia, who shared the struggles of their peoples arising from local mining. Seeing their pictures and hearing their stories provoked great discussion round table and raised a lot of questions about powerful stakeholders and injustices around the world. Tomorrow I am going to see the All Blacks take on Scotland at Murrayfield! Sold out stadium! ‘Scottish rugby match’ was definitely on my Edinburgh Bucket List..I can’t believe the match I’m going to is Scotland hosting the All Blacks!!

Scottish tidbit:  Auld Lang Syne is a poem written by Scotsman Robert Burns in the 18^th century.  It translates literally to ‘old long since’ or colloquially ‘long ago’.  At the conclusion of dinners, parties, ceilidhs, everyone holds crossed hands and sings the chorus together (I bet if you google/youtube, you will recognize the tune!)

I realized I hadn't put up a picture of Queen Margaret yet!

Italy :)

See bottom of  the post for photos from ITALIA!! it was everything it was promised to be and more! I stayed in Empoli with Ylenia, Giulia’s (my flatmate) good friend from home.  The first day was Giulia’s graduation from the University of Pisa.  Graduations are quite different in Italy:  friends and family gather to hear the student defend their dissertation in front of their thesis advisor and a panel of professors.  This panel deliberates, then the candidate and family are called back into the room for the graduating grade to be announced.  Giulia received a 110 cum laude- the highest possible mark-and she deserves it!  The laurel crown is traditionally given to graduates as a mark of academic achievement.  After a champagne toast and photos, Giulia’s friends and I walked down the street to the famous leaning tower, battistero (for baptisms), and cathedral.  SO COOL for me, totally ordinary for all of them! We had lunch in a great pizzeria, and the owners brought out a nutella-mascarpone dessert pizza to celebrate our graduate J Later that night, we had a celebratory dinner with the whole family at ’Rifugio’ complete with a spread of starters, a 1^st seafood dish, a 2^nd pasta dish, main course (meat and fish), and dessert.  Giulia has a wonderful family and an amazing group of friends..it was so neat to meet them all!

I was so fortunate to have Giulia and Ylenia showing me the Tuscany region over the next week.  They were the best hostesses, making sure I tried everything ‘typical’ that Tuscany had to offer. Being with them made the Italian experience so much richer than I could have ever experienced as a tourist.  We visited the most famous sites, but they also took me to lesser known secrets (like the pastry shop that opens at 3 AM to start baking for the next morning…if you knock on the backdoor you can sneak in for fresh pastries-still hot!)   I got a glimpse of the Italian social life:  aperativos (drinks and a spread of food- really cheap and great to meet up with friends before going out!), 3 surprise parties to celebrate Giulia, and an unforgettable night at Jump Rock club.  I met two truly amazing Italian families, who welcomed me with kisses and smiles, and always the best and biggest portions of delicious food! Ylenia and Giulia took me to visit Vinci (the birthplace of Leonardo di Vinci) and Artimino to see the Hunting Lodge of the Medici family (also known as the 100 chimneys villa).  I spent two unforgettable days in Florence, the highlights being the Duomo, Uffizi Art Museum, Palazzo Vecchio, and Punto Vecchio.  I hiked up to Piazzale Michelangelo for a panoramic view of the city, which we returned to at night later in the week for a champagne toast for Giulia- even more stunning with all the lights! On our last full day, we went to Siena in the morning where I entered the Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta:  the highlight of my trip! Walking in stole my breathe away- I have never seen anything so magnificent!  The front face is so ornate, made of green, white and pink marble (common to the Tuscany area) that continues on the inside.  The floor was divided into beautiful marble mosaics depicting biblical scenes and characters.  There was so much to see-paintings, alters, statues, adjacent rooms, gold and silver ornaments- each of which were masterpieces of art and architecture alone.  My mouth was hanging wideee open the whole time I was inside!  We next went to the Piazza where the famous Palio horserace is held, and enjoyed a siesta in the sunshine.  We left Siena and drove to San Gimignano-a medieval town with lots of towers and little shops, which had the most stunning countryside surroundings (the drive to and fro was beautiful!)  On Thursday the girls showed me around Empoli- the Thursday market and central square before sharing one last gelato (which was my favorite of the week!) and catching our plane back to Edinburgh.

So that’s the abridged version- nothing to the 27 pages in my journal- but nonetheless some of the highlights.  We had 7 days of my idea of perfect weather-70 and sunny- uncommonly warm for October, even in Italy.  Of course, I can’t conclude this post without elaborating just a bit on my culinary experience in the food capital of the world.  My appetite finally met its match, and the score stands Italy-1, Metabolism-0, as I’ve returned home 4 kilos heavier than I left.  Italians do pizza, pasta/risotto, and gelato arguably better than anyone in the world. But other highlights for me (although the aforementioned can’t be understated in their excellence) were tapliata (tender meat left rare in the middle but seared on the outside), octopus salad, roasted chestnuts and chesnut bread, Porcini mushrooms, new olive oil (so green!), ricciarelli (biscuits), and cheese (burrata and stracchino in particular).  The hot chocolate was rich and thick and without a doubt the best I have ever had in my life. 

I spent Friday morning unpacking, only to repack for the Rotary District 1020 Conference in Glascow Friday through Sunday.  Friday night, was a great night of fellowship with the other scholars and Rotarians.  We had a welcome reception, followed by a delicious dinner and rounded off the evening with two brass and pipe bands.  On Saturday, we listened to a number of speakers including entrepreneur Tony Banks and Naoko Kurachi, a past Ambassadorial Scholar and QMU graduate (from my program!). We learned about Rotary of Britain and Ireland’s newest partnership with the Stroke Association.   I went to Catriona’s (Jackie and Ken’s daughter) house for lunch Saturday afternoon. We had a delicious, formal dinner Saturday night, followed by a big Ceilidh with Kilter (a GREAT band)!!  Sunday, a number of the ambassadorial scholars were interviewed followed by more presentations including key notes speaker Pat Kane and Geoff Mackey- a tremendously entertaining public speaker- to round off the conference.  The weekend was full of laughs and inspiration, great conversations and meeting new people.  I’m excited about Rotary, excited about all they are doing in the UK and globally, and so appreciative for the opportunity and experience of this year that they are providing!   

I have a very long week ahead, as I’ve just spent my ‘reading week’ away from classes doing everything but…reading. But I’ve ‘caught the bug’, Italy was such an amazing experience that I’m already looking for the next adventure.  I have two huge assessments due for my first two classes, which finished right before reading week (reading week also should have included some writing).  I have two new classes beginning on Monday- Research Global Health and Social Development, Policy and Practice.  For some reason, I’m not nearly as worried about getting my assignments done as I should be..I’m still wrapped up in my Italian dream J I speak at the Rotary Club of Musselburgh tomorrow night and then have an ‘International Night’ with Rotary in Portobello on Halloween!  Time is flying too quickly..is November really just around the corner?!?

Giulia and her brother, Filipo

Our graduate and family!

Super-tourist

Hunting Villa of Medici family with 100 chimneys!



With Giulia at her suprise pizza dinner and special cake!



Duomo in Florence

Palazzo Vecchio..we spent 2+ hours inside! Amazing..



Ponte Vecchio

Florence from Piazzale Michelangelo by day...

...and by night!

Toast to Giulia!

Enjoying the Sunshine in Piazza del Campo, home of the Palio race

Piazza del Campo with Ylenia
 

Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta in Siena



One of the mosaic scenes on the floor inside Siena cathedral

Two Months!

First time voting via Absentee Ballot!

Today marks TWO MONTHS in Edinburgh!!  School is keeping me very busy, but I’m continuing to enjoy my classes, professors, and classmates. I realized mid-week that I’m starting to settle into a routine, but that with that I have lost the active exploration of a new city.  So I’m rebalancing, allotting less time for academics and more time for Edinburgh, and this began with a visit to the Bongo Club.  Bongo Club is a great pub about a 10 minute walk from my flat that holds weekly ceilidhs- a traditional Scottish dance done in a large group, sets of couples, or with a partner.  It always involves live music, an accordion and fiddle are the bare minimum, and a caller who names the dances and instructs the steps.  I think my choice adjectives for the ceilidh are as follows:  aggressive, chivalrous, high-energy and VERY fun.  I woke up whiplashed from some intense spinning, but it’s a small price I am more than willing to pay.

I’ve been trying to not repeat any restaurants or pubs- because there are so many to try! Nonetheless, Finnegan’s Wake has become a flat favorite pub, with great live music 7 days a week.  This past weekend they had a particularly great band:  Absent Friends.  I've (unsuccessfully) tried to attach a video but I will consult a techy friend on how to do this! My Sunday spot and guilty North American pleasure is called The Peartree, a pub that shows all the NFL games live and has Blue Moon on tap. Now if my team could start playing a little better….



Hillwalking and Storytelling!

Late last night I got back from a weekend in the Highlands with Jackie and Ken, their daughter Catriona and her husband Neil, their 4 children Mia, Alister, Nina, and Talia, and friend Dee and her daughter Katie.  Jackie and Ken were kind enough to invite Caitlin up as well.  We said to each other many times how wonderful it was to be surrounded by a big family and energetic children (18 months to 9 years old). We did some great hill walking to the Linn of Dee on Saturday, and to ‘Airplane Hill’ just behind the cottage on Sunday (so named for the famous airplane tree which is piloted by the grandchildren- see picture).  Neil tells the kids great stories on the walks, the favorite being Lord of the Rings, and at the top they all get a ‘top of hill treat’ (which I really looked forward to..shh!) We watched the Slipper and the Rose (like Cinderella), rode on Papa Ken’s 1949 Grey Ferguson,  spent hours upon hours making friendship bracelets, and tasted Catriona’s famous Sticky Toffee Date Cake with Lemon Butter Icing (I would have died a happy lady if it were my last bite).  It was such a nice weekend and really great to get to meet more members of Jackie and Ken’s family!

Highland Friends!

Catriona and Alister on the 1949 Ferguson

 

Mia, Ali, and Nina on Airplane Tree (worthy of note is the luggage rack)

I leave on Thursday for a week in Italy! My flatmate Giulia is graduating on Friday, and before receiving her diploma she must defend her thesis in front of her advisors, friends and family- talk about pressure! She is super nervous, but I have no doubt that she will pass with flying colors and I cannot wait to celebrate ALL WEEK with her!  Her and Ylena are going to show me all around Tuscany- we talked about day trips to Siena and Pisa.  I’ll be sure to post when I return home!

Scottish Tidbit:  Lots of new words and phrases came up this weekend at the cottage (and I’d forgotten my Scottish dictionary!)   Something that tastes delicious (ie Sticky Toffee Date Cake) is ‘just yum’ or ‘smells yum’.   The word ‘pleat’ is used instead of braid (for hair and friendship bracelets!) The children gave ‘cuddles’ instead of hugs. We were also introduced to Fox’s Bars, biscuits and cream covered in chocolate..just yum J

Missouri...

Kilomathon finish in Murrayfield Stadium!

The days are flying by! Last Wednesday I had dinner with my host counselor, Jackie.  She took me to Loch Lynd, a wonderful seafood restaurant in Leith, where we spent hours catching up while enjoying a great view of the port.  On Thursday, Caitlin, Nick, Stevie and Sammie cooked up some phenomenal TexMex for me and my roommates- Giulia’s first tacos EVER!!!  Friday, I had a fun night out in the city with a great crew of students from my program, before hitting the books allllll day Saturday.  Sunday morning, Caitlin and I ran in the Kilomathon Edinburgh, a 13.1 kilometer race starting at Ocean Terminal and ending in Murrayfield Rugby Stadium! It was raining on our way to the start line, then the sun came out just as the race began!  But around kilometer 10, we found ourselves fighting the elements again- strong wind and rain.  Good news:  it made us run faster, and we crossed the finish line in 1:07.  We went to the (famous) Snax Café which was the closest thing to a diner yet.  I had my first traditional Scottish breakfast, the ‘Biggest Breakfast’, which included a buttered nappie, fried eggs, black pudding, haggis, fried tomatoes, sausage links, baked beans, flat sausage, hasbrown, a tattie scone and bacon.  I think it is the last experience I care to have with black pudding, but I appreciate the valuable addition of baked beans to breakfast!

Sloppy Joes, namesake of their inventor-a cook from Iowa

Giulia’s friend Elena is visiting from Tuscany, so I cooked us an American favorite on Sunday night:  sloppy joes (appropriately sloppy). After dinner I BOUGHT TICKETS TO ITALY!!! Ever since I met Giulia and Susanna (and now Elena), I have been hearing stories about Italy and it was decided early on that a trip was essential.  I have a reading week/break from classes starting October 18^th so Italia here I come- first time on continental Europe! Giulia is returning home for her graduation on the 19th (which I’ll get to attend hopefully!) and then she and Elena are going to show me around their hometown, Empoli! We are going to Pisa and Siena, as well as some of their favorite little towns surrounding.  I. Can’t. Wait.

It has been a very full week of classes.  One of the neatest things about IIHD is that they frequently bring in guest lecturers to lead a module that falls under their area of expertise.  For example, the topic of our Global Health and Social Policy lecture yesterday was governance and we had a guest lecturer from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine who has just returned from doing field research on government and health funding in Zambia. She had really fascinating experiences and research findings to share, and led a great group discussion. 

Compliments of Alysha Yoder

After another very full day of classes, my brain(fried) was challenged (by my roommates) to name all 50 US states (“of course I can”).  We all know how this one ended…2 hours, and an irrational hatred for the state of Missouri.

I found a GREAT pub, The Peartree, just a 10 minute walk from my house that shows American Football every Sunday! The downside:  they close at 1 AM, which taking into account the 5 hour time change means that I just get to see 1:00 and 4:25 games.  Luckily, the Keystone showdown is scheduled for 1 PM this Sunday.  HERE WE GO STEELERS!!

Scotland Bit:  Having just written about my ‘football’ team, I should point out that in Scotland (and the rest of Europe) football=soccer.  There is a long standing rivalry in Scotland between the Celtics and the Rangers, the two Glascow association football clubs. The rivalry is historically rooted in religion (Celtics supported by Catholics and Rangers by Protestants) or anscestry (Rangers supporters traditionally native Scots and Celtics fans the Irish-Scots).  The Rangers were liquidated in 2012, halting this historical competition yet it is still acknowledged as one of the greatest rivalries in football.

Best Wishes and Big Congratulations!

Happy Birthday to my Popop today! A big congratulations to Erik and Carissa Emery on their wedding this past weekend! And I will be thinking about my good friend Paul as he ties the knot THIS weekend! Its tough not being home for these big days in friends and families lives- but I am there in thought and send best wishes from overseas!
I am very busy with my coursework right now but VERY MUCH enjoying my classes.  Today was full of particularly stimulating discussions:  my Global Health and Social Policy class was examining healthcare and health policy through a social constructionalist lens.  It was debating the foundational basis of biomedical research, study, and application.  I reached the point in lecture where I could physically feel my brain muscle stretching, trying to encorporate such new perspective.  This is a much welcome sensation, my favorite part about learning and academia!  I'm being challenged, and I keep thinking that this year of study is going to be so invaluable and complementary to my (hopeful) pursuit of medicine. 
Speaking of medical school, I have heard back from two of the schools I applied to.  Boston University declined to offer an invitation to interview while Univ of Pitt has extended an invitation.  This interview has been scheduled for December 5, but I am trying to hold out on purchasing a ticket home until I hear back from other schools!
Just a short post for now- I am going to the check out the first 'training' for the QMU volleyball team shortly.  I'm debating joining the team, but not sure yet...cheers!

Done With 1st Week of Classes!

1 week of classes down! The academics are very different from any experience I’ve had before.  My schedule right now has three modules:  Learning Methodologies, Health Systems, and Global Health and Social Policy.  Each module will last 4-6 weeks, at which point I will write one paper that integrates and applies what was learned throughout the course.  My grade for each class comes solely from this assessment!  The classes are reading intensive, which has been a bit overwhelming this first week. Classes are 3 hours long, although lectures are broken up by group discussions and activities.  Another change:  EVERYTHING is digital and computer based, and although I am by no means foreign to using technology, it has been a big adjustment for me..especially reading everything online!  These things aside, my professors are amazing, knowledgeable, and engaged in their teaching.  I’m enjoying the benefits of an intimate academic community, such as a lovely dinner hosted by the Head of Department for all the new and returning IIHD students on Monday night.  As students, we are quickly becoming a close group.  I make a point to sit next to a new student every day, and I enjoy 1-on-1 conversations immensely- hearing about different cultures and countries.  About 6 of us commute on the 30 to QMU, so bus rides are even more bearable!

Highlights of the week..I spoke with my thesis advisor about the possibility of concentrating my dissertation toward the global family planning initiatives of Rotary International, as discussed with Dr. Zinser last week.  Although she cautioned that I not dive headfirst into planning my dissertation, she thinks the topic fits well within IIHD’s focuses.  For now, I have filed the idea and turned my focus to my coursework, and building up a foundational knowledge in global health.

Italian Cooking in Action!

Tiramisu..mmm...

 Wednesday night, Caitlin, Nick, and Sammie joined my roommates and I for dinner in our wee kitchen.  Giulia and her friend Gianmarco (also Italian, visiting from Wales) cooked us an Italian feast:  fried bread with sautéed mushrooms, penne with meat sauce and a ‘beschimella’ sauce, delicious eggplant lasagna with fresh mozzarella, and THE BEST tiramisu I’ve ever had for dessert!  We ate for almost 3 hours, had lots of laughs, and decided that I have won the roommate lottery J

Me and Gordon Hislop at Centenery Dinner

Last night (Friday) was the Rotary Club of Edinburgh Centenary dinner, held at the Balmoral Hotel at the West End of Edinburgh.  I received a call from President Bob Hislop earlier this week, saying that at the last minute his son’s lady friend would be unable to make the event and asking if I would want to take her spot at his table! OF COURSE I did, and after scrambling to find a gown on Thursday, I was treated to a magical evening last night.  Gordon, Bob’s son, was the piper who ushered in the high table of distinguished guests.  We had a phenomenal meal, followed by 5 speakers (who kept us all laughing), and some traditional Scottish music, concluding by crossing hands and singing Burn’s famous Auld Lang Sang.  It was an evening full of great conversation, making new acquaintances, and a celebration of one of the oldest Rotary Club’s in Europe (and all the great work that they have done)!

Tonight, I am going to a monologue called “Gadda Goes to War” put on by the Italian department of the University of Edinburgh.  Both my roommates, Susanna and Giulia, have been very involved in coordinating and organizing the event, and they hooked me and a group of Rotary scholars up with comp tickets for the show! I’m really looking forward to it, and to buying Susi and Giulia a much deserved pint for all their hard work to pull off such a successful event (they have been working so hard all month and almost nonstop for the past week!).  I’m so proud of them!

Who gets this view while they run?? Just one of the many
beautiful views of Edinburgh while running in Holyrood.

Whenever the sun comes out, I’ve been training for the ‘Edinburgh Kilomathon’ next weekend (Sunday, Sept 28).  It’s a 13.1km race through parts of Edinburgh I’m less familiar with, ending at Murrayfield rugby stadium.  I’m so spoiled on my daily runs-  I live just minutes from Holyrood Park and the Meadows  both ideal, beautiful places to run.

Scottish Vocab:  In one session of Learning Methodologies, we were review appropriate punctuation when citing literature sources.  A period is called a ‘full stop’ which for some reason makes me giggle.   A semi-colon is a ‘partial stop’.  Last night at Centenary, after finishing dinner we took a ‘comfort break’ which was an opportunity to take a ‘pee hen’.  Members of my table thought that the term ‘comfort break’ was American- but I’ve certainly never heard it!

Big News...

VERY exciting conversation with Dr. Robert Zinser yesterday.  I got to hear more about Rotary's collaborative Maternal Health project in Nigeria, and how the project is continuing to expand!  He shared with me the great need for a 'universal language' to be developed amidst the international community surrounding FAMILY PLANNING:  a necessity to decrease maternal and infant mortality rates globally.  I will be meeting with my professors at QMU this week to see if I can steer my research in this direction, and coauthor (with Dr. Zinser) a dissertation that would make a very important impact in my field! The timing is perfect, as both Britain and the USA (through the Bill and Melinda Gates foundation) have just pledged significant funding towards MDG 4&5.  I have been exploring current publications in this area for a specfic project/topic to gear my efforts towards, and yesterdays phone conversation may well have layed the foundation for this year!  This opportunity is a seemingly perfect collaboration between my academic interests, service with Rotary, and passion to empower women worldwide.  Fingers crossed that I get support from my academic department this upcoming week to pursue this project- I'm incredibly excited about the prospect!

Exciting Possibility!

I've just finished my week of orientation at QMU.  Most of the days were packed with introduction sessions to things like using the library and the student services office, with optional social events at night- mostly geared toward the undergraduate students.  My program, MSc in Sexual and Reproductive Health, is offered through the Institute for International Health and Development.  IIHD is pretty autonomous within Queen Margaret University and part of our orientation was spent in discussion groups presenting relevant topics in our focus area that we will be concentrating on this year.  I am so excited for classes to begin, after learning about the past experiences of the other students in my program. 
As I've been fortunate in having international experiences integrated into my education, I've always considered myself to have a somewhat broader worldview than many people I know.  But it has been very humbling this first week to realize that I know nothing of the world, particularly of the struggles in Africa and the Middle East.  I have recognized after a few of these early class conversations that I have much to learn and need to primarily listen right now.  I want to represent my country well, and serve in the capacity of an ambassador for the USA, sharing my experience of life in North America.  However,  it is difficult for me to represent a view on topics like 'safe abortion' coming from my cultural context, when right now it is seeming so unrelatable to the reproductive health issues in other parts of the world.
I am beginning to think about my service project for Rotary and a focus for my dissertation.  I have been researching Rotary International's initiatives in Maternal and Infant Health and have found a very impressive project.  Rotary clubs from Germany, Austria, and Nigeria have teamed up to form a comprehensive strategy to improve maternal health in Nigeria, with a focus on preventative health education and treatment of obstetric fistula.  Obstetric fistula is a result of prolonged/obstructive labor, often in very young mothers, where the baby cannot pass through the birth canal and the vaginal tissue becomes necrotic and dies, resulting in the development of a fistula (hole).  Women are ousted from society and abandoned by family because of resulting urinary and fecal incontinence.  The success of Rotary's project in Northern Nigerian states of Kano and Kaduna (http://www.maternal-health.org/rotary/project-information-1/index.html) has me so interested in this project/intervention methodology, that I sent emails to every contact person I could find online, and I was ecstatic to receive a message back from the head of the project yesterday! He will be calling me today and I am so excited to find out if there is some avenue that I can become involved in this project.  I will blog again after our conversation today...

High on Life!

Sometimes, you have an experience that is impossible to put into words and that would be the case with the past 4 days.  Caitlin and I made two stops in Inverness and Fort Williams, both really cool towns full of great culture and activities!  But above and beyond were the people we met as we explored these places, and the experiences we shared together.   After arriving in Inverness we found a hostel near the bus station where we met 3 incredible Spaniards just living life to the fullest- an energy and attitude that was contagious!  The owner of the hostel became our go-to guy for great recommendations of neat things to do!  We took a wonderful walk around River Ness which was beautiful.   Inverness was hosting a National Pipers competition, which we got to preview in the street our first night, before stumbling upon a Battle of the Bands and Hootananny’s- a pub famous for their live traditional Scottish music.  We went to the pier, hoping to see the town’s two famous dolphins swim by (they didn’t…but the walk and view was worth it!)  We bussed into town to find that we had arrived at a no-access point, but an ‘unofficial’ hike led us to a beautiful bay of Loch Ness…no Nessie sightings but stunning scenery and a very peaceful, calming place.  Both nights we ate at the same pizzeria with friendly staff and really great pizza!  Day 3 we hopped on our new friends’ itinerary and bussed to Fort Williams where we hiked Ben Nevis- the highest mountain in the United Kingdom!  The first 2.5 hours of the hike were beautiful, unreal weather (10 days of sunshine per year…we got one of them!) and beautiful hills, sheep, and little waterfalls 360 degrees around.  The next 2 hours, we were hiking through a misty cloud up to the top, which was bone chilling wet/cold, but complete with ruins of a castle and a shack where we warmed up and refueled (apparently originally built as an observatory to study the weather patterns at high altitude).  We were so cold we ran down until we started regaining feeling in our hands.  After a good night’s sleep, we took a bus via Glascow back to Edinburgh.  Can’t stop smiling and couldn’t be happier to be in my present situation- surrounded by new, fascinating people in a wonderful country.  (I took no pictures on the trip, but I hope to steal some from my travel mates and post them!)

Last night, I went to the ‘Welcome Ceilidh’ held at QMU as the first event of Fresher’s Week.  I’m happy I went, and in addition to learning the traditional Scottish dance I made my first QMU acquaintances.  I slipped out around 11 to meet my roomies who had found a bar showing American football in the city not far from our apartment (great live music too)!! This was a very exciting discovery…the Steelers performance was not so exciting…

This morning was my first day of induction at QMU!  I was nervous, not knowing if the school/course of study would be as it sounded online (the biggest disadvantage for me studying overseas was not visiting any of the schools before applying/enrolling).  I couldn’t be happier! We are an intimate group of 19, all with very diverse backgrounds and coming from different parts of the world:  a doctor from Pakistan, a pharmacist from Germany, a nurse from Holland, a recent graduate from Canada, a couple from Zimbabwe etc.  Altogether, the 19 students represent 15 different countries!  The 5 professors at the Institute for International Health and Development, where I will be taking all of my classes, seem to be both passionate and knowledgeable.  The teachers are very keen on incorporating our (students) past experiences into the course study, and I am sure we will learn a lot from each other!  Orientation continues tomorrow, and I am SO EXCITED for what lies ahead!!

Scotland bit:  I have done my shopping almost exclusively at second hand stores, very similar to Goodwill in the states.  However, in Edinburgh there are a TON of them…I walk past three on my two minute walk to the bus station!  Each one benefits a different organization (UK Cancer Research, Save the Children etc) and they have everything from clothes to home goods to textbooks.  It’s easier for me to spend money knowing that it is supporting a good cause, and I wish we had more of these orgs in the USA!

 

 

New flat, new adventures!

It has been a busy week!   I moved into my new flat at 1 Rankeillor Street, with flatmates Giulia, Susanna, and Jaime.  Saturday night, our first night together in the new place, we had a phenomenal dinner together!  Good news for my tastebuds, but bad news for my wasteline:  Giulia and Susanna who are from Italy are wonderful cooks!  They made the best lasagna I have ever tasted with a huge salad, Jaime (from Spain) made his famous Sangria and I made my new-and-improved PB pie (none of them were familiar with peanut butter?!) We coined the term ‘Spiterican’ as the fusion of our Spanish, Italian, and American English languages.  I’m shaking off some rust with my conversational Spanish, dormant since Argentina, and working on learning some Italian as well J We rounded off a night of great stories and conversation with a trip to the Liquid Room- an electro bar not far from our place. It was a great night, and I’m sure there will be many more to follow this year!



Arthur's Seat from halfway up!

Sunday was another beautiful, sunny day.  A group of us hiked up Arthur’s seat, the major hill in the center of Holyrood Park.  It yielded gorgeous, panoramic views of the city and we enjoyed a Tesco picnic lunch surrounded by some seriously good scenery.  We walked by the new Scottish parliament building- one of the most unique buildings I have ever seen- before continuing on to Carlton Hill.  Another park, Carlton Hill has lots of history and neat buildings/structures.  There were great views of Arthur’s seat and Salisbury Crag nearby and it was cool to learn about some of Edinburgh’s prominent figures highlighted by monuments.  Sunday afternoon, I trekked 1.5 miles out of city to Leith Links which was hosting a ‘Mela Festival’.  Mela is a celebration of international music and dance.  I was only there for about 2 hours, but was able to see a Qawali band and a Middle Eastern orchestra.  I walked back to the city and caught a bus to Jackie and Ken’s.  Ken and I cycled to Inverleith Park where we had a terrific view of the 45 minute firework display taking place over Edinburgh Castle.   The firework show marked the end of the Festival and a celebration of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee.  There was an orchestra playing on Prince’s Street (we heard on the radio of the group seated in front of us) and the fireworks were terrifically in sync with the music.  There were so many different colours, and a ‘waterfall of light’ down over the castle that was quite a sight!

Couple on Carlton Hill

I spent most of Monday getting settled in the apartment, rearranging my room and buying the odds-and-ends needed to get situated.  I went for a run in Holyrood Park which has a scenic 5K loop around Arthur’s seat.  We have finally identified the wonderful (my opinion) smell that seems to permeate the entire city…its wort from the numerous breweries!  I’m beginning to associate that smell with my new  home here in Edinburgh.   I saw Brave, the new Pixar film based in Scotland, at Odeon- a nearby theatre..great movie!

Yesterday I went back to Parliament to explore the building. I asked if I could have a look around and was told Parliament was working and that I could sit in their session! It was a very cool experience, a bit hostile and argumentative, but tis the world of politics! Scottish Parliament is young- the building just opened in 2004- and they are currently seeking the best balance for the country of devolution/independence from the United Kingdom.  In the entrance hall, they are currently showcasing the “William Wallace Letters” exposition, so I learned a little bit more about the Braveheart protagonist.  

Scottish Parliament



Scottish Parliament from Salisbury Crag

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Last night, we welcomed a fourth scholar, Stevie, to Edinburgh.  She has just finished 5 months on the Appalachian trail! We met at Nick’s apartment where ‘Los Cartos’ delivered some delicious Chipotle-like burritos before heading out in New Town for some beers, ciders and newfound ‘Crabbies’- a delicious ginger beer!

After talking it over the past few days, Caitlin and I decided to take advantage of these last couple days without classes by taking a spontaneous bus trip around Scotland.  This morning while cybersquatting in McDonalds, we bought tickets via Megabus to Inverness! I’ll post again upon our return J

Fun Scotland fact:  Ben and Jerrys has a whole set of flavours only available in the UK!! As someone who made it a personal mission in the states to try all 70+ B&J flavours, this was an exciting discovery. There was a scoop shop attached to the Odeon theatre where I sampled “Oh My Apple Pie” and “Vermonster” two ‘British line’ flavours.  DELICIOUS J





View of city from Arthur's Seat