Finished...not yet

Learning collaboratively in relationship with others comes easy here at Dalkeith House. We are approaching our last few weeks of classes and the ready to be finished emotions are prevalent with all. However there is one final extended travel weekend. We are talking with each other about trips, bookings, and frustrations because UK based websites are not US credit card friendly.

In the beginning of the program our conversations were tentative, now these same conversations are full out. For example Angela asked me if my brother Andy travelled to Istanbul. Students know of my brother, the expat who lives in London, because he has been here on two different occasions. The last being our holiday weekend and he danced with us at the Ceildh. So Angela emails Andy about Istanbul and Andy emails Angela back. I am travelling to Barcelona and wonder aloud where a Spanish phrase book might be, students tell me it would not be of much use because of the lisp spoken in “Barthelona” with the Castilian emphasis. Ok, how does one get by…”you just do” they say. You see we are all teachers and learners at the same time.

THIS is what I love about being here. The sharing of information, the interest we have in each others lives, and experiences. We talk about our days, it resembles some sort of instant meal. Add water and mix. I will miss the ease in which we have come to know each other. Mostly I will miss our ways of learning. Photos are being taken, memory books put together, all the symbols that say to the world the fall 2007 Dalkeith crew was one of the best. Aren’t they all!

"Anyway" by Mother Teresa

People are often unreasonable,
illogical, and self- centered;Forgive them anyway.

If you are kind, people may accuse you
of having selfish, ulterior motives; Be kind anyway.

If you are successful, you will win
some false friends and some true enemies; Succeed anyway.

If you are honest and frank, people
may cheat you;Be honest and frank anyway.

What you spend years building, someone
could destroy overnight; Build anyway.

If you find serenity and happiness,
others may be jealous; Be happy anyway.

The good you do today, people will
often forget tomorrow; Do it anywyay.

Give the world the best you have, and
it may never be enough; Give the world the best you've got anyway...

rain, rain, go away...come again some other day

My wish for Scotland seems to go unheard of late. Rain has been a constant companion this weekend. When there has been a break in the intensity I’ve stolen a half hour to exercise outside. This morning it is “blowin’ like stink” (one of my favourite sailing terms)...wind & horizontal rain. I am inclined to stay cocooned inside after class, comfortably wrap myself in a blanket to prepare for this week of classes, however I also need to “fetch some messages” in town. Although it’s a non holiday week here in Scotland we in the Wisconsin in Scotland program are celebrating Thanksgiving on Thursday complete with a Celidh (Scottish dancing) in the evening. It is a sort of mixed bag of American and Scottish traditions. Similar to what would be happening in America I have company coming to celebrate. In fact many of us do. Family and friends will be here on Wednesday evening and although every bone in my body wishes we didn’t have classes on Thursday I have a full day of work before the celebration begins. There are things to be done in preparation for company. So I will need to muster the courage and brave the elements later today.

Funny...how I pride myself on adaptability and yet when the weather shifts my reluctance to go outside is nibbling away. Scots deal – this is not an excuse to be inside rather it is part of their lives. One simply has different clothing on days like this. I recall my friend Dennis saying when he and Kathleen moved to abroad, “if we stay inside when it rains we will never see Ireland”.

Another reason for my reluctance to be out in the middle of it is my need for quiet reflection. My father is undergoing cardiac procedures today and I am feeling very far away from it all. We are hopeful for positive outcomes and that he will feel better once healing has occurred. Hope is powerful...a true celebration of Thanksgiving is being planned in East Greenbush, New York.

Caledonia and Paris

When Mindy asked, “Where in Europe would you like to meet?” Paris was the obvious choice. Mindy lived in Paris as an expatriate in the 1990’s and speaks French. What better way to see the city than through her eyes. So it was in Terminal 2 at the Charles de Gaulle airport that we met up on Friday. My rock star tour of Paris began on the incredibly efficient rail system. I should say it’s efficient when there is not a transport strike. Speaking with a local yesterday made me realize how dependent Parisian’s are regarding access to public transportation. A Swiss national, he exclaimed “ I just don’t get it…they’re paid well by European standards…the French just get tired and pay them whatever they ask for.” We saw the Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triumph, Avenue des Champs-Elysees, ate a yummy Nutella & banana crepe for sustenance, trekked to her old neighbourhood in arrondissement # 16, then finally a bottle of wine and cheese. Whew and that all happened before dinner – which in Europe is later than I am accustomed to. Reservations were for 9:00 pm. A walk by the Seine River and seeing Notre Dame at night were spectacular after our very filling meal.

Visiting the Musse du Louvre was special as I appreciated the architecture of this incredible edifice. Mona Lisa was present in all her calm glory with thousands surrounding her taking pictures. Amazing after all these years how popular she continues to be. A little retail therapy with Anne and I was ready to be toes up for a bit. My 4:30 am cab ride Sunday morning was prompt. I found myself reflecting on all that happened during those precious days and felt tremendous gratitude for my friendship with Mindy and Anne.

As usual, arrival back at the “house” was heart warming. I was exhausted and needed a bit of a nap before I plunged into work for the week. We put on a wonderful Caledonian (a Latin word denoting Scotland) Dinner complete with a recitation of a famous Robert Burns poem honouring Haggis, piping, etc. All that pomp and circumstance made me eager for a Robert Burns dinner in the Twin Cities upon my return. I thought of my brother in law, Jimmy, who recounted his experience with a Robert Burns dinner. Apparently he painstakingly translated the “Ode to Haggis” into Cantonese and assisted in the celebration with some Scottish co-workers. I suspect traditional Scottish is a wee bit difficult to translate into Cantonese.

All faculty have been busy today preparing for classes this week. It seems like the semester end is around the corner and time is increasingly precious. There is levity in the house tonight as I write this, students are chatting and laughing – my colleague Rich mentioned that we’re obviously not giving them enough work to do. Perhaps…and I think for the most part they are a great group of fun loving, dedicated students, who have settled into their routines. Levity on Monday evening is a luxury that we can all afford!

A letter to my mother

Dear Mom,

My blog gives the false impression that all I do is travel. When I review my postings I can understand how one could arrive at that conclusion. So I offer evidence in the form of photos of textbooks, my classroom, and my office. I am working, contrary to your conversation with Andy last week.

My work week begins on Sunday when I typically work several hours in preparation for classes the next week. All courses are new preps for me which means a fair amount of advanced reading and designing classroom activities. Although new preps require extra effort, there is something exciting about designing learning opportunities for students. For example, students in my classes are involved in service learning projects outside the classroom. Many are working at local schools, churches, café’s, and parks in an effort to give back to the community where we live. They seem to enjoy this level of cultural immersion and I eagerly await their end-of-semester reflections on learning.

Thursday afternoon is my last class of the week and I am blessed with a group of students who never cease to amuse me – they are funny, engaged, and willing to put forth effort in learning about Human Resource Management. For the first time ever, I have a classroom of students who express excitement over a semester end project.

So rest assured your daughter is delightfully engaged in meaningful work here in Scotland. Oh, yeah and this weekend I’m off to Paris to spend 48 hours with friends Mindy & Anne. You see my motto is “work hard, play harder”. Although tiring it is a noble pursuit.

Your loving daughter,
Kathy

for those of you who don’t know my NY family refers to me as “Kathy”

Fall Break Photos

Photo #1: Oban on a sunny morning

Photo #2: The Plockton Rail Station

Photo #3: John in Inverness - River Walk

Photo #4: These boots are made for walkin' (On the ferry ride to Mull)

From Plockton to Aberdeen

One of the many benefits to my teaching assignment here in the Wisconsin in Scotland program is a Fall Break. Much like Spring break back on my home campus, it is a glorious week begging to be exploited. John and I chose to explore Scotland via rail. Loosely structured is typical of our preference for travel and a rail pass allowed us the freedom of traveling where we wanted via rail or bus. Unfortunately I was dealing with some sort of flu bug which semi-limited our activities. However we were never too far from a Boots pharmacy which proved invaluable in obtaining the right concoctions of medicine. As an aside, in my 20 years of traveling with this man, we always seem to spend time in pharmacies throughout the world. I think it’s the frustrated physician syndrome. This time our purpose was a little different than usual.

Places visited included Glasgow, Oban, Mull, Ft. William, Inverness, Plockton, Aberdeen, Dundee, and Edinburgh. Despite daily rain (in Oban gale force winds plus driving rain – Sierra Design rainwear is NOT waterproof) we managed to hike and explore all towns. We loved Inverness, a city in the Highlands, with a lovely river and islands that were fun to explore. We had the best seafood here and enjoyed the restaurants. Our B&B was expertly run and beautifully appointed for a fraction of the cost of other lodging locations.

Plockton is a lovely seaside village with a small population and the best Cullen Skink (a sort of fish potato stew) I have ever tasted. Freshly baked fruit scones with a wee bit of jam and double cream provided the fuel for our hill walking that rainy day. The only ones on the rail platform for the 5:00 pm train with strong cold winds, we sang every Christmas tune we knew. To say we were happy to see the train is an understatement. I practically hugged the conductor when we boarded.

The following day we took the train to Aberdeen, Scotland’s 3rd largest city. The culture shock of how one can be in two totally distinct places in 24 hours was remarkable. Aberdeen was moving to a perceptible beat, loads of people in this busy port city. Oil is the big name in this town and since the 1970’s the North Sea has provided a huge harvest for our petroleum appetites. We enjoyed museums, art, and a piano concert in Cowdry Hall.

Although John and I travel frequently it is often for business purposes or to spend time with our families. Time together exploring a new place was very special. When John left this morning I experienced what my colleague Rich refers to as heart sickness (as opposed to homesickness). I am reminded that my partner in life is truly my soul mate.

Above a few photos capturing vacation moments.