Traveling Saints

The Historic Part of Toledo

2010-11-24T11:43:00.001-06:00

Toledo, España

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About to tour Toledo

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View of Toledo, España

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Enjoying the trian ride to Madrid to visit the Museo del Prado

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Waiting for the train in Pozuelo

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Taking the train to Madrid from Pozuelo to visit the Museo del Prado

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Eating at the Welcome Party

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Students at the Welcome Party

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Host Parents at the Welcome Party

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Welcome Dinner with Host Families

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Touring Segovia

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About to enter the Segovia Castle

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View of Segovia from the top of the Segovia Castle

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El Acueducto de Segovia - one of the most significant and best-preserved ancient monuments left on the Iberian Peninsula from the Romans

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Exausted but happy at the airport in Madrid Barajas at 3:00 PM on Wednesday

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St. Andrew's Upper School Spanish students at the airport in Jackson with smiling facing shortly before their flight was cancelled.

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FW: Berlin

2010-06-30T15:35:00.000-05:00

The Reichstag and Brandenburg Gate -- courtesy of Mr. Tokarski's iPhone

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Celestun

2010-06-14T03:21:00.001-05:00

About to go bird watching in Celestun, a port city on the Gulf Coast of Mexico.

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Chichen Itza

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Visiting some ancient Mayan ruins at Chichen Itza on Saturday morning

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Watching Merida's baseball team, "Los Leones" play on Friday evening

Casa Crisal

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Saying goodbye during our last visit at Casa Crisal.

Casa Crisal

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Painting posters and working on puzzles with the girls on our last visit to the girls refuge in Merida.

Casa Crisal Orphanage

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This picture is at the Casa Crisal girls refuge where we have been visiting every afternoon to do activities the girls who have been taken out of abusive homes.

2010-06-10T03:17:00.000-05:00

Tasting Yucatecan Food

2010-06-10T03:11:00.001-05:00

Emma is trying a typical Yucatecan food called "panuchos" that the preschool students at el Renacimiento prepared for the cultural exchange. The children dressed in traditional clothing from the Yucatan to show us more about their mestizo culture which includes both Spanish and Mayan influence.

El Renacimiento (Private Bilingual School)

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This is the private bilingual school that we visited on Wednesday for a cultural exchange. Every subject taught in this school has to include lessons both in Spanish and English. The building that we visited is for P-K through third grade.

Vocational High school day 2

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Our students shared their Powerpoint presentations about their culture, families, hobbies, and favorite foods. Then the Yucatan students shared information about their culture, including special sites such as Chichen Itza, now one of the wonders of the world.

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Eating some fruit flavored Mexican ice cream (before dinner!)

Vocational high school day 2 continued

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Our students posed with some of their new friends outside of the culinary building. Inside was the senior student's final exam--fruity drinks and special food. We were invited to this special celebration while some other students outside watched from an open window. It was a wonderful experience and it was hard for everyone to have to say goodbye.

mexico

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mexico

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The second picture is of the chemistry teacher, Gladys, and her daughter. Gladys is Kristine's contact at the school through a friend. Gladys does not speak English but her daughter does.

mexico

2010-06-07T17:39:00.000-05:00

The third picture is of some of the teachers of the school

* I hope you got all of my other emails! I just got a message that two of them didn't make it through

mexico

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pics 3

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Enjoying the beach and the Gulf of Mexico. Cooling off from the hot midday.

mexico pics 2

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Enjoying FRESH fish tacos oceanside with Kristine's mexican mama and hermanas (sisters)

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Arriving to the hotel in Merida

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Departing from Jackson

Returning from Scotland to Jackson

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After an amazing two weeks and an extraordinary last evening, which featured a fund-raising concert for Level 8 Projects and our upcoming Rwanda trip (with more info about this coming soon), we made the return trip home to Jackson, flying through Amsterdam and Memphis before landing back in Mississippi.

Glocal Service at Carnoustie - Campus Clean-up

2010-04-24T09:44:00.001-05:00

Another “glocal” eco project involved a collaborative trash pick-up, with students from St. Andrew’s and Carnoustie working together to clean up the campus and the walk-way to town.

St. Andrew's University

2010-04-24T09:39:00.001-05:00

We were met in St. Andrew’s by Parker Murff, a recent graduate of St. Andrew’s Episcopal School, who showed us her new school -- St. Andrew’s University.

St. Andrew's Castle

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St. Andrew's Cathedral

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St. Andrew's

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Two days before our departure, we explored the town of St. Andrew’s, home to St. Andrew’s University, St. Andrew’s Cathedral, and the oldest golf course in the world, where golf was first played more than 600 years ago. We also experienced our first bit of fog and rain.

Glocal Service at Carnoustie - Tree Planting

2010-04-24T09:22:00.001-05:00

As part of our “glocal” orientation, we engaged in some ecologically-oriented local service projects, including planting trees with members of Carnoustie’s Eco Club.

Arbroath Abbey

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Founded in the twelfth century, Arbroath Abbey was home to the Declaration of Arbroath, agreed to and sealed in 1320 as Scotland’s declaration of independence.

Glasgow University

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Glasgow - Provand's Lordship

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Across the street from Glasgow Cathedral was the oldest house in Glasgow – the Provand’s Lordship – which was built in 1471.

Glasgow Cathedral

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Glasgow Shops

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Beyond the central shopping area were lots of other smaller shops…

Glasgow

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A few different views of the city, which, like Edinburgh, combines old and new.

Scottish Highlands

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Traveling south from Inverness back toward Carnoustie and St. Andrew’s…

Carrbridge

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Traveling across the Highlands from Inverness to Carnoustie, we stopped for a bite to eat in the town of Carrbridge…

Inverness

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At the Northern end of Loch Ness lies Inverness…

Urquhart Castle

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On Loch Ness between Fort William and Inverness stands Urquhart Castle, well over 1000 years old…

Loch Ness

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Isles of Glencoe

2010-04-06T22:29:00.000-05:00

As part of our weekend on the West Coast, we stayed at the Isles of Glencoe and enjoyed amazing mountain views.

Sunset on the West Coast of Scotland

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After an extraordinary day traveling across Scotland and visiting Mull and Iona, we took in the sunset on the way from Oban to Glencoe.

Return trip from Iona across Mull

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After a wonderful visit to Iona, we were fortunate to experience Mull at a different time of day and from a different perspective…

Domesticated animals on Mull

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Sheep were everywhere, including wandering freely across roads, as were the muckle coo (or highland cows).

Inside the Abbey at Iona

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Iona

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One of the most sacred and peaceful places I have ever been…

The Isle of Mull

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Ferry trip from Oban to Mull

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Visiting Oban en route to Iona

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After driving from the east coast across the mountains, we reached the west coast of Scotland and the town of Oban, where we caught the first of two ferries to Iona.

Traveling across Scotland to Iona

2010-03-25T20:10:00.001-05:00

As part of our two-week visit, we traveled to the West Coast with Carnoustie’s Head Teacher, Mr. Fraser Booth, and experienced another side of Scotland, including some extraordinary mountain vistas on our way to Iona.

The William Wallace Monument

2010-03-24T18:25:00.001-05:00

While in Stirling, we also visited the William Wallace Monument and worked through some of the conflicting tales about William Wallace, the hero in the movie Braveheart, who won fame for standing up to and defeating the English, before being defeated, captured, and executed by King Edward.

Inside Stirling Castle

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Inside the walls of Stirling Castle, the scenery and history were just as impressive as outside.

Visit to Stirling Castle

2010-03-24T18:15:00.001-05:00

Between days attending classes at Carnoustie High School, the St. Andrew’s team took time to visit Stirling, home to one of Scotland’s most famous castles and the William Wallace Monument. Here are some pictures of the outside of the Castle.

A view of the city from Edinburgh Castle

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Edinburgh Castle

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Clearly one of the highlights was touring Edinburgh Castle, which sits high atop a crag in the middle of the city and served as a center for political and military power in the area for centuries.

Street musicians and more in Edinburgh

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Nowhere was the blend of old and new more apparent than in the street musicians we saw in Edinburgh, especially when contrasted with the statues of Adam Smith and David Hume, both of whom were from Scotland.

The Royal Mile in Edinburgh

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Beyond political fixtures were plenty of shops and sites in Edinburgh, just a few of which are reflected in these pictures, including a coffee shop named after Robert Burns and the house where John Knox lived.

The city of Edinburgh

2010-03-21T18:21:00.000-05:00

The city is a wonderful mixture of old and new, with a rich historical legacy and one amazing site after another.

The Scottish Parliament

2010-03-21T18:17:00.001-05:00

As part of our trip to Edinburgh, we toured the new home of the Scottish Parliament and met with Andrew Welsh (MSP), who represents the Carnoustie area. The building itself was impressive and posed a remarkable contrast with Edinburgh Castle and some of the older architecture on the Royal Mile between the two sites.

Various modes of transportation in Edinburgh

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On the way to Edinburgh...

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On Tuesday, we took a train to Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland, to visit the Scottish Parliament and Edinburgh Castle, as well as to see the city and the countryside along the way.

Shalina's report from Puerto Rico

2010-03-16T17:33:00.003-05:00

Shalina Chatlani's report from Puerto Rico:

Puerto Rico's capital, San Juan, from what I have discovered being here only one day, is divided up into 3 main sections—the tourist infested section, known as Isle Verde (Green Island), Condado, and Old San Juan, along with many other little neighborhoods. Isle Verde is where I am staying, as this part of town has most of the hotels. In addition to that, there is a beautiful beach 5 minutes away. In fact, I recall one man say, "we love the water here." I imagine he would, because the temperature is so extreme. The high was 85, and it was 91 all through the day. Old San Juan, the meat of the capital, has an amazing mix of contemporary and old. Old San Juan is the original city, the streets and houses have that great Latin American vibe. It’s an oasis of multi colored houses. Within it there are little squares that have just a fabulous, fantastical sitting area. And this sounds exaggerated, but the scenery is truly just awe inspiring. The streets are still paved with the old stones that made this city, and built on them are modern style restaurants and boutiques. Now if you want to walk past this, all the way to the water, sadly, you’re out of luck; you will be blocked a gigantic fortress. This is called the San Juan fort which is pictured right above. The fort is more than just a great exercise to tone those American legs. It’s a fun and educational adventure. My dad and I went through as many entrances as we could, but the structure was so large, we probably missed a lot. Initially of course, we just swerved through all the rooms with their display items and such. And then we hit the jackpot. THE DUNGEON. Such a fascination in this specific section of the fort might be considered a little bit wacky, but it IS interesting. We made our way down a dark tunnel and entered a tiny little room, which smelled disgusting, and I imagined a couple dozen people packed in there when the fort was actually in use. And when I look at the dungeon drawings, I saw someone had scribbled, right next to a picture of a ship, the word, “Mierda!” The fort offered many amazing things, like another treasure—the firing section, which is the top part of the fort. Stacked up, was a huge pile of lovely cannonballs. I loved it. Of course, this fort cannot be summed up in a mere summary, or even a book. You have to fly to Puerto Rico and see it yourself ;). The other fort we saw was El Muro, the oldest fort in the Americas, much like the San Juan fort, el muro had its own wonders, like circled and triangular staircases that led to nowhere or somewhere, a light house, which unfortunately was cut off from the public, and real cannons. It also had a replica of the Spanish headquarters, which were quite dismal. It gave me a quite a clear picture of how awful the conditions were at that time. Those were the sites I saw in one day; now the food I ate deserves another blog entirely. I went to a restaurant called Café Puerto Rico. The food was traditional Puerto Rican food. I had mofongos con camarones, which is a bowl of plantains and shrimps in the middle and a delicious sauce drizzled over it. It was quite good. The flavors take a while to get used to, because it’s quite a change from regular salty American food, to a mixture of bitter and sweet. For dinner we had ceviche, which is seafood cooked in vinegar or some acidic sort of mix like lemon juice, so its not entirely cooked. It was delicious. And of course, desert had to be tres leche, the closest thing to heaven, a cake soaked in three kinds of milk, absolutely delicious. My first night in Puerto Rico was fun, exciting, and extremely tiring. If anyone decides to come here, make sure to come with an open mind, GOOD walking shoes, and lots of sun screen. The bus takes about an hour to go somewhere maybe 10 miles away, so it would be very wise to choose walking as a mode of transportation (as lots of taxis are ROBOS- rip-offs) All in all, I love this place. So much culture.

SA joins the Rwanda team from Carnoustie

2010-03-15T18:40:00.002-05:00

After attending classes during the day and a faculty meeting, the St. Andrew’s group met for the first time most of the other members of the team that will be traveling together to Rwanda and engaging in service learning – which should be an amazing and transformative experience for all.

Green themes also emphasized

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School wall displays also include designs for green houses and a notice for an upcoming eco meeting, which we hope to attend.

Citizenship and service projects emphasized

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As a school community, Carnoustie is actively engaged in multiple glocal projects – including raising awareness and funds for a vocational college in Rwanda, breast and testicular cancer research, fair trade, and Invisible Children – all of which are prominently displayed on the school walls.

Settling in at Carnoustie

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On our first day at school, Patrick and Killian connect with Mr. Bell (who led the Carnoustie trip to St. Andrew’s in the fall and who will be leading our joint trip to Rwanda) and attend classes.

Arriving at Carnoustie High School

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Early Monday morning, we arrive at Carnoustie High School and are welcomed graciously by the entire school community, including with a message on the flat screens hanging around the school.

St. Andrew's in Scotland

2010-03-14T17:52:00.004-05:00

We spent our first day with our host families, with mine including a wonderful day in St. Andrew’s – a beautiful, historic town that sits on the North Sea and that is home to St. Andrew’s University and some of the finest golf courses in the world.

Arriving in Scotland

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After a long journey, we arrive safely and are greeted warmly by our hosts from Carnoustie High School.

Travel from Amsterdam to Scotland

2010-03-14T17:42:00.003-05:00

From Amsterdam, we flew to Scotland, with our anticipation growing, and enjoyed the view along the way.

Spending a few hours in Amsterdam

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We were impressed by the manifest cosmopolitanism in the airport, as well as by the recycling systems and the effort to support the SOS Children's Villages, with whom we have been working in Ghana.

Arriving in Europe

2010-03-14T17:34:00.002-05:00

Our first stop was in Amsterdam, where we were to catch a connecting flight to Edinburgh.

Transatlantic flight info

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Thanks to the maps and displays on the monitors on the back of our seats, we were able to follow our progress and conditions across the Atlantic – including in multiple languages.

Preparing to depart for Scotland

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Killian and Patrick prepare to board our flight in Jackson International Airport as we depart on the second leg of a new three-tiered exchange with Carnoustie High School in Scotland -- with the final leg involving joint travel and service in Rwanda this summer.

Heading Home

2009-09-14T17:09:00.001-05:00

<<DSCN0715.JPG>> After 9 wonderful days in Taipei, Taiwan, Andy Bear
and I are heading home! We hope you have enjoyed the pictures from our
adventures. There will be one more post with video clips (or links to
them). Please take the time to view the videos - they will provide more
depth to your understanding of the Taiwanese culture!!

Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Park

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Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Park

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Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Park

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Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Park

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Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Park

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Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Park

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Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Park

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<<monument.JPG>> The next several pictures were taken at the Chiang
Kai-shek Memorial Park. Follow this link to learn more about the beloved
Taiwanese president for whom this park was constructed and named-
http://www.cksmh.gov.tw/eng/index.php?code=list&ids=2.

Taiwan Knows Harry Potter

2009-09-12T23:09:00.007-05:00

<<harrypotter.JPG>> Known around the world, Harry Potter and his
friends dazzle Taiwanese audiences!!