Jonathan's Rotary Ambassdorial Scholar Blog

Talking with Six More District 7570 Rotary Clubs

2008-07-17T19:35:00.008-04:00

Over the past four days, I have spoken with six additional District 7570 Rotary Clubs.

On Monday, I was pleased to present events from my Ambassadorial Scholar year to Rotarians from the Rotary Club of Johnson City-Evening. Below I am presenting a banner with Club President Preston McKee.

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On Tuesday, I spoke with the Rotary Club of Johnson City. This Club is always a treat as it's one of the largest in the entire district and also the second oldest chartered club in the area. I was happy to formally exchange a banner with President Mitch Meredith below. (I also used this opportunity to wear my Rotary in London neck tie...click the picture and zoom in. The tie was a present from London Rotarians, and I think it's a nifty map of central London.)

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I spent Wednesday in Kingsport, speaking to two other Rotary Clubs. In the morning, I spoke with Rotarians from the Rotary Club of Kingsport Sunrise, and at noon, I gave a presentation to the Rotary Club of Kingsport. Below I am sharing a moment with the Kingsport Sunrise President Connie Salyer.

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Today I spoke to two final clubs. First, this morning, I went to the Bristol Public Library and spoke with the Rotary Club of Bristol Morning. Below Club President-Elect Alex Andersen and I exchange banners.

For lunch, I travelled to Kingsport once again and spoke with Rotarians from the Rotary Club of Kingsport-Downtown. Below, I am presenting a banner to President Lesa Phillips while President-Elect John Pridemore looks on.

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All in all, it has been a great pleasure to speak to 20 Rotary Clubs from District 7570 over the past few weeks. I have enjoyed thanking these Rotarians who, through their generous contributions, have afforded me the opportunity to study public health in London, England.

THANK YOU!

Commissioned as a U.S. Navy Officer

2008-07-13T21:07:00.008-04:00

Yesterday, as you can tell from the picture above, I was commissioned as an O-1 (or the most junior officer) in the United States Navy. In this role, I will serve as an Ensign in the Navy Reserve while attending medical school. Following medical school and residency, I will spend four years serving as a Navy physician.

After entertaining some other medical school funding options, I am proud to say that this arrangement will allow me to remain debt-free (even in the positive with my officer salary) throughout medical school. In addition I take pleasure in following in both my father's and uncle's footsteps into the Armed Services, and serving as a Naval Officer.

The Navy will present excellent post-grad medical training as well as exciting career options including flight surgery. Furthermore, I am very interested in preventive medicine and public health, two fields I see as vitally important to not only Navy Medicine but the future of American health care.

BTW, the dress whites are pretty nice I will admit (especially once I serve and get some medals/service bars)...though my formal commitment won't occur until a few years down the year.

God Bless America!

In Virginia for the Week -- Day 5

2008-07-11T21:29:00.002-04:00

I awoke this morning for my final day with Virginia Rotary Clubs. Following the past two days with hectic, but productive, schedules, we chose to sleep in today. After waking up around 9 AM, Janet fixed a nice light breakfast of fresh fruits, cereals, and biscuits.

I then packed up my items and Jim, Janet & I headed to Amelia's Pizzeria to spend time with the Rotary Club of Christiansburg. This meeting was my last meeting of the week, and it was my first to have a pizza buffet at a Rotary meeting...a terrific way to conclude the week. Below I am exchanging banners with Club President Paul Murphy.

Following the meeting, I said my good-byes to Jim and Janet, who were an excellent host couple for this week. Below is a great picture of the Johnsons and I.

This week has also helped to shape two future ideas concerning the Ambassadorial Scholarship program in Rotary District 7570.

(1) The dinner at the Johnson home on Wednesday evening brought together some Scholarship Alumni, and this will help to foster collaborative ideas to strengthen alumni support of present and future Scholars from District 7570.

(2) The format used by myself this week to connect with District 7570 Rotarians can be hopefully implemented across the district to spread the "welcome home" messages from future district scholars.

In Virginia for the Week -- Day 4

2008-07-10T23:14:00.003-04:00

After the great dinner last night with Rotary friends, Jim, Janet, and I went to bed early because this morning we drove for close to two hours to my ninth Rotary presentation for the week. I was pleased to speak with Rotarians from the Rotary Club of Smith Mountain Lake. Smith Mountain Lake is a great area in Virginia, and I knew this area well because during college, Wake Forest University students would often use this area to host conferences and leadership retreats. Below Club President Steve Miller and I share a moment in front of my club banner tri-fold.

Later, Jim, Janet, and I attend Jim's home club, the Rotary Club of Blacksburg. I had a great time presenting to the Blacksburg Rotarians. Below I am pictured with Club President Bob Hoover.

Later during the evening, I spoke with the Rotary Club of Roanoke which coincidentally met in the Hotel Roanoke right across the street from the O. Winston Link Museum which I visited on Tuesday. In addition to taking a photograph (below) with Club President Larry Ptaschek, I was pleased that Jim helped to capture this Scholar Talk on digital camera video. Although it's not the best in quality, the message has been recorded for you. I hope it's enjoyable. Take a few moments to give a listen by clicking here. (The last little bit of the talk is found here.)

In Virginia for the Week -- Day 3

2008-07-09T22:49:00.004-04:00

This morning, Janet and I had breakfast with Rotarians when I spoke with the Rotary Club of Montgomery County. Below is a picture of Club President Lee Talbot and I.

For lunch, Jim and I attend the Rotary Club of Floyd. As I found out, Floyd is a very interesting small town with an eclectic population...quite a nice treat. Below I am shaking hands with Club President Ed Terry in front of my "Rotary...the world over!" poster, a staple backdrop for my Rotary presentations throughout the district.

There were no Rotary Clubs which met on Wednesday evening in the entire District 7570 (remember this is prime church time). it was no problem though, because Assistant Governor Janet planned a nice evening meal and presentation at her home for around 28 Rotary participants. We hosted District Governors (those past, present, and future) and their spouses, Rotary Scholarship Alumni and their families, and other Rotarians. It was a nice evening of Rotary fellowship, and it greatly allowed me the opportunity to reconnect with executive leadership team for the district.

Some pictures from the evening meal and presentation follow:

In Virginia for the Week -- Day 2

2008-07-08T23:02:00.005-04:00

After a restful night's sleep, Jim and I headed over to Roanoke where I gave a morning presentation to the Rotary Club of Roanoke Valley. This meeting took place at the Hidden Valley Country Club, where I was interviewed for the Ambassadorial Scholarship more than two years ago. Below is a banner exchange between Club President Tarek Moneir and I.

After the breakfast meeting, Jim and I had a few hours to spare before a Noon Rotary meeting. Therefore, he treated me to a visit to the O. Winston Link Museum. Link is a phenomenal photographer who specialized in creating masterworks with a focus on steam locomotive trains such as that pictured below. (As a little boy, my dad and I would often--probably illegally--take hikes and ventures through railroad trestles and tunnels...so I have always had a fascination with these engines, some of which can weigh over 1 MILLION pounds.)

Following our museum side trip, we headed to "The Daily Grind," the venue for my next meeting with the Rotary Club of Salem-Glenvar. This was a newer club in the District, and I had a great time with Club President John King (pictured below with me) and his fellow Rotarians.

After my stint with the Salem-Glenvar Rotarians, we headed back to the Johnsons to rest and relax before my third Rotary meeting of the day. This evening I was pleased to speak with the Rotary Club of Martinsville. Jim, Janet, and I spent about 1.5 hours traveling to this Club, but it was my goal to visit with District 7570 Rotarians, near and far within the District. Below I am sharing a welcome with Club President Connie Mask.

Following our trip to Martinsville, Jim, Janet, and I headed back into Blacksburg, where we retired for the rest of the evening...as we were beat!

In Virginia for the Week -- Day 1

2008-07-07T20:48:00.002-04:00

R0tary District 7570 is quite a large geographical area, stretching from Greeneville, TN to Winchester, VA; therefore, there are many Rotary Clubs interspersed between here and there. Today, I arrived in Virginia to spend a week with Jim and Janet Johnson, both Rotarians from Blacksburg. Over the next week, I will be speaking to eleven Virginia Rotary Clubs in the District. These District Rotarians deserve to see where their dollars are going -- to support Ambassadorial Scholars such as myself; therefore, I am happy to spend time in this central and northern area of the District. Next week, I will be speaking to several Tennessee Rotary Clubs in the District.

Earlier around Noon, I met Jim and Janet in Pulaski, VA, where I gave my first presentation of the week. Below I am exchanging banners with Pulaski Club President Leroy Henry.

Following this meeting, we travelled to Blacksburg, and I got settled into Jim and Janet's home. At 5:30 PM, I gave my presentation to the Rotary Club of Christiansburg-Blacksburg (Janet's personal club). Below is a picture of President Ike Eller and I. (I had met Ike down in Burlington, NC, around two years ago, and it was nice--and quite accidental--to reconnect with him.)

Following the evening Rotary meeting, Jim and Janet took me around for a visit to the Virginia Tech campus, where I paid my respects to those students and campus leaders lost in the April 2007 tragedy. Janet is a former Dean at Virginia Tech, and the VT spirit remains high in local residents.

Farewell, Auf Wiedersehen, Au Revoir, Adios, Ciao!

2008-06-19T22:47:00.001-04:00

Anyway you say it...

my time in London has come to an end.

Today is my last day abroad.

But as I look back over the past nine months, positive memories--including the Rotary Clubs to which I have talked, the Rotarians I now call friends, the places I have visited--flood my mind, and I know that these memories will impact me for a lifetime.

My experiences as a Rotary International Ambassadorial Scholar have allowed me to gain both tangible and intangible benefits. I have been fortunate to study public health and earn an MPH at a wonderful international graduate school. Most importantly, however, it has allowed me to better understand Rotary and to better understand the intricate ways in which several cultures must work together in order for maximal welfare.

When I began this blog way back in August 2007, I said that I wish to use this blog as a way to "reflect, inform, and inspire". It is my hope that Rotarians (in both District 7570 and 1130) have enjoyed keeping up with my events and travel while abroad. I thank all Rotarians for the contributions they have made so that I may enjoy the experiences I have had.

Although I wish my time in London wasn't ending, I can now move forward with the next few stages of my life.

First and foremost, I look forward to returning to District 7570 (Northeastern Tennessee and Western Virginia) and spending a three-week spread speaking to twenty Rotary Clubs around my home area. I, of course, will update the blogs as I travel around my home district.

Second, I will finish my public health dissertation on consumer-directed health care (namely health savings accounts) for submission in mid-August.

Third, I will start my medical education at University of Tennessee's College of Medicine in Memphis in mid-August. I look forward to serving as a physician and also hope to heavily utilize the skills I have acquired from my MPH education in my medical training.

Seeing as I had already said my Rotary goodbye's (except to my host counsellor Alan who will be driving me to Gatwick to catch my flight to the US), I spent the day with the friends I have made in London and living at International Hall.

Two final Rotary Club meetings in London

2008-06-19T19:35:00.000-04:00

Earlier today and yesterday I finished speaking to my 37th and 38th Rotary Clubs here in London.

On Wednesday, I was able to talk with Rotarians from the Rotary Club of Friern, Barnet & Whetstone. Below, I am exchanging banners with their club president. Today, I enjoyed my last Scholar Talk with the Rotary Club of Greenford.

These last two Scholar Talks were very enjoyable. Not suprisingly, I found myself in quite a contemplative and reflective mood and sharing my final Scholar duties with these Rotarians in District 1130 was a very nice treat.

Exams are Over!

2008-06-18T15:16:00.000-04:00

Earlier today, I finished my last exam at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine.

Today I sat for a health promotion exam which has been my academic focus in my year-long MPH training. On Monday, I sat for a exam which covered four core public health classes, including health economics, epidemiology, social research, and health statistics.

Understandably, it feels great to have these exams over. Now--with the completion of my classwork and these exams--only a pesky dissertation on health savings account stands in my way of completing my MPH education.

Following our exams, we took the following class picture in front of our school.

Making my 36th Scholar Talk with the RC of Enfield Chase

2008-06-12T15:10:00.000-04:00

Early this morning, I took a 30-minute Tube ride up to the northernmost part of London, the Borough of Enfield. There, I was met by Rotarian Sue who kindly drove me to the Enfield Baptist Church where the Rotary Club of Enfield Chase meets.

I was pleased to learn that Enfield Chase was one of the newest District 1130 clubs, charter only a few years ago in 2004. This news combined with the fact that Enfield Chase was a morning, or breakfast, club strongly mirrored by sponsoring club, the Rotary Club of Johnson City-Morning.

I had a great time sharing my message about what Rotary means to me, my service with HOPE, and upcoming departure with the Rotarians. Below I am exchanging club banners with President Chris.

Now, I have the weekend to finish studying before I take an exam each on Monday, June 16th and Wednesday, June 18th next week.

Following my second exam, I will give two final Scholar Talks, one with the Rotary Club of Friern Barnet & Whetstone and another with the Rotary Club of Greenford before leaving bright and early Friday morning for HOME!

Two Thumbs (Way) Up for Rotary's KidsOut!

2008-06-11T19:41:00.016-04:00

Although I am exhausted and sunburned, I had a great time today helping Rotarians from the Rotary Club of Hanwell & Northfields at a KidsOut event at Thorpe Park.

KidsOut is an extensive community outreach program held universally throughout Rotary in Great Britain & Ireland (RIBI) in which thousands of children with special needs enjoy a memorable day out. Held the second Wednesday in June, the annual Rotary KidsOut Day is the largest day out for disadvantaged children and young people with disabilities in the UK. Today, RIBI estimates that more than 28,000 children and their carers were taken on trips fully organized and funded by RIBI-affiliated Rotarians. In addition, more than 100 venues (including zoos, safari parks, museums, farms, and theme parks such as our Thorpe Park adventure) across the UK were visited today.

In this spirit, I was glad to help Rotarians from Hanwell & Northfields escort 14 kids and 11 teachers and assistants from the Castlebar School (pictured at right). Castlebar serves chidlren with moderate to mildly severe learning difficulties in the primary age range from 3 to 11 years.

I had great fun and feel that this service event exemplifies Rotary very well. In addition, its overt message that children and adults with disabilities are not limited promotes social inclusitivity for all, a theme that I have been heavily discussing throughout my Scholar Talks concerning own work in connecting children with disabilities and North Carolina college students through my service organization HOPE (visit www.hopevolunteers.org).

The kids had a great time enjoying their rides (such as the train in the video above). Also, some of the adults and I had fun riding the "big kid" attractions including Thorpe Park's STEALTH, a roller coaster that propels you 205 feet high and to 80 MPH in a scant 1.9 seconds! Needless to say, STEALTH was great fun. Although I didn't personally have the courage to video my ride of STEALTH (as I envisioned not only dropping my digital camera but it also knocking somebody on the head below), enjoy the following YouTube video that details a nice front seat, point-of-view perspective video of the ride. It was exhilirating!

Indeed, there was something for everyone at
Rotary's KidsOut 2008 at Thorpe Park...

Another Scholar Talk and Saying Farewell to my Host Club

2008-06-10T23:32:00.000-04:00

Today, I had another great Rotary-filled day!

Early this morning, I spoke with my 35th Rotary Club, the Rotary Club of Finchley. This was a great club, and the Rotarians highly reminded me of my sponsoring Rotarians back home. At right, I am exchanging club banners with President Andrew with some Rotarians in the background.

After this meeting, I returned back to International Hall where I studied for a great part of the day. I also prepared four boxes and had them sent on ahead of me back home. (I only had three boxes sent here, but isn't it always the truth...that you send more home than you originally bring with you.)

Finally, early this evening, I went for my last official club meeting with my hosting club, the Rotary Club of Hanwell & Northfields. Tonight was a great night, and our meeting room was filled with Rotarian spouses and several guests from other clubs in addition to a few Rotaracters as well. This evening was special for two reasons. First, the club was awarding a Paul Harris Fellowship to a wonderful member of the local community who had served as regional manager for a large grocery store chain. He was awarded this honor due to his unwavering commitment to his community over the years. (If you recall, I was quite surprised when the Rotary Club of Johnson City-Morning bestowed the same honor to me a few weeks ago.)

As this was my last visit with the entire club, I took the opportunity to formally thank the Rotarians for their generous support, to reflect briefly on my time abroad, and to offer my thoughts on Rotary's Ambassadorial Scholarship program. A short video of my Farewell Address is posted at my Google Video account. Please check it out as this scholarship program is, in my opinion, leagues ahead of other similar programs.

Tomorrow I look forward to participating in Rotary's Kids Out program in which several Hanwell & Northfields Rotarians and I will escort some children with disabilities to Thorpe Park, a local amusement park, for a day outing. It should be great for all involved, and I have been anxiously looking forward to it!

Redbull Flugtag in Hyde Park with Friends

2008-06-07T20:25:00.005-04:00

Earlier today, some friends (L to R in picture at left: Jason, Chihoko, and Jon) and I spent the day at the Serpentine Lake in Hyde Park, Central London, enjoying some zanny participants in the 2008 Redbull Flugtag.

According to Wikipedia, Flugtag (which is German for "flight day" or "airshow") is an event owned and operated by Red Bull (an energy drink) in which competitors attempt to fly homemade human-powered flying machines. Each machine is themed and the four-member crew has 30 seconds to "perform" an act related to the theme of their machine before launching it off a platform about 30 feet high into a body of water. One of my favorites was the Mary Poppins-themed creation in the picture at bottom right. It didn't (predictably) travel too far...but had it been raining the pilot would have been covered, that is until he hit the water! Flugtag is more than an annual event as numerous Flugtags are held at a variety of cities across the world each year.

All in all, the 2008 London Flugtag (the second one held in London, the first was in 2003) was a great day out with friends enjoying the mild weather...and we weren't alone as an estimated 80,000 people packed around the Serpentine. The Flugtag allowed me a small break from studying, and I greatly appreciated that.

It was too bright outside for me to take any videos with my digital camera, but have a look here and you'll be able to envision what the London Flugtag was like. Although most flying machines rarely fly at all (as the preceding video reveals), the current world record flight is 195 feet set in 2000 at Flugtag Austria...so there are the occasional aviation feats!

Touring the Houses of Parliament

2008-06-04T13:37:00.003-04:00

Yesterday, I was treated to a personal tour of the Palace of Westminster (better known, at least to Americans, as the Houses of Parliament) arranged by Steven Pound, a Member of Parliament (MP) and a fellow Rotarian. In addition, Alan, my host Counsellor, and I greatly enjoyed our tour with an enthusiastic and very informative tour guide. I learned several interesting facts about the Palace of Westminster.

UK's Parliament is divided into two houses: the House of Commons and the House of Lords. The House of Commons is the lower house of the two, and each of its members (called MPs) are elected by their constituency in a similar manner as are US Representatives. The House of Lords, however, is a vestigial organ of Britain's monarchical past. Historically, Lords were appointed by the Monarch, and the title--being hereditary--was passed down through a man's eldest son. Although some hereditary titles exist (but are being phased out), most Lords are appointed. Therefore, these Lords are usually experts in such fields as business, medicine, law, and ethics. Recently, however, a move by the House of Commons--which retains most law-making ability in Parliament--will phase in an all-elected House of Lords. In this way, the House of Lords will become very similar to the US Senate, a true democratically-elected upper chamber.

Top left: The House of Lords. Note the ornate details and extensive gold-leafing.

Top right: The House of Lords logo. Red is the official color, and this is historic since red was expensive to produce.

Bottom left: The House of Commons. Note the more practical feel and decorations. (Also because of Cromwell's rebellion in English history, even today no royal family member may enter the House of Commons!) This chamber is where Prime Minister Gordon Brown conducts parliamentary business.

Bottom right: The House of Commons logo. As you can see, green is its official color.

Originally, the Palace of Westminster was a personal residence built for Saint King Edward the Confessor.
Much of the original building was destroyed by fires during the 1830s, and a public debate consequently raged concerning which architectural style should be adopted to rebuild the Palace. Interestingly, the two final choices included either neo-Classical design (such as that of the US's White House and Capitol) or Gothic. Ultimately, the neo-Classical design was considered too "revolutionary" (hmm...wonder why? haha) and Gothic architecture was used to construct the Palace as it currently stands.
The Palace also amassed considerable damage from bomb raids during WWII, but then-Prime Minister Winston Churchill declared that the affected areas were to be rebuilt exactly as they were previously. In fact, the archway that leads into the House of Commons still bears a significant artillery wound as a historical reminder.
I was amazed by the relatively small (physical) sizes of both Houses. They look so much bigger on the BBC! Also, currently only about one-third of the Commons (of which are 646 members and Lords (of which there are 745 members) can sit in the rooms at any one time. Also, each chamber is considerably different than the congressional chambers for either the US House of Representatives or the Senate where each member of Congress has his or her own desk. In addition, to me at least, 1391 parliamentary members seems a bit high for a nation of only 65 million. In the US, a nation of 300+ million people, there are "only" 535 total members of Congress.
The 2nd flush toilet in the entire world was installed in the Palace of Westminster...it was built in the Sovereign's Dressing Room, an area that is still used today as the official place for the King or Queen to wind down before each year's State Opening of Parliament which is completed in either October or November.
In spending a lot of time in Parliament, I got to thinking...are people in the UK subjects or citizens? I mean certainly there is a monarchy--although its "only" constitutional--but I have never heard of a formal British Constitution. I did some investigating and found a BBC article about this subject vs. citizen debate. It's a good, succinct, and interesting read.

All in all, this was a terrific day! Due to concerns about photography destroying the intricate wood and leather work I was unfortunately unable to take any personal photographs, but the memories of my visit will be remembered for quite some time.

Scholar Talks to Four More Rotary Clubs

2008-05-30T15:58:00.006-04:00

Over the past three days--since returning from Scotland--I have visited and spoken with four additional Rotary Clubs as illustrated in the following banner exchange photographs. To date, I have now visited and spoken with 34 Rotary Clubs while abroad, more than 3 times the amount required by The Rotary Foundation. It's just that much fun...talking with interesting Rotarians united in "service above self."

Tuesday, May 27 (7:15 PM):
Rotary Club of Chingford
There is no picture since I forgot my camera!

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Wednesday, May 28 (12:30 PM):
Rotary Club of Deptford

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Wednesday, May 28 (7:15 PM):
Rotary Club of Northwick Park

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Thursday, May 29 (12:00 PM):
Rotary Club of Elstree & Borehamwood

With no more public health classes--just studying for exams or "revising" as they say over here--these four Rotary meetings filled my week with great experiences.

A Scottish Sunburn? My Trip to Scotland...

2008-05-27T16:05:00.011-04:00

I just arrived back in London from a wonderful trip up to a variety of cities in Scotland. I had the pleasure of spending the past several days (Friday to Tuesday) with Rachael, a fellow Southerner and Rotary Scholar studying business at the University of Stirling. I could write forever on this great trip, but, in the interest of time, I will highlight a day-by-day, play-by-play of my recent "holiday" (come on now, I have to use some British terms).

Day 1 (Friday, May 23)
On Thursday evening, I completed my last essay (for my Health Systems class) and turned it into the school. After that I hastily packed and headed to London's Kings Cross Rail Station to catch a midnight train to Stirling, Scotland. I travelled all night arriving in Stirling by 8:30 AM the next morning. Rachael had arranged for another American Rotary Scholar, Lauren, to take me to her apartment. (Rach had gone to pick up her best friend, Anna, who was also visiting at the same time.) Settling into Rach's place, I had a shower and freshened up. (Although the seat size was much more accommodating on the train compared to an economy plane seat, the seat was still very hard and not the most comfortable for a 7-8 hour train trip.)

After freshening up, Lauren and I headed to the Rotary Club of Stirling for their noon meeting. That's right...although I was on "holiday" I was determined to attend a Scottish Rotary Club meeting. I had a great time with this club--the 30th Club I have visited--of active and enthusiastic members. At right, I am exchanging banners with the club's Junior Vice President Alan.

At the end of the meeting, Rach and her friend Anna met me at the hotel where the Rotary meeting took place. I quickly changed into some tourist-friendly clothing, and we headed out to explore some of the sights around Stirling. First, Rach took us to the Church of the Holy Rude, which is the second oldest building in Stirling dating back to 1129 (that's right, I didn't type the nine in the wrong order...it's that ancient, as is most of Scotland). After a tour around the church and its old cemetery, we headed over to the oldest building in Stirling, none other than Stirling Castle itself.

Stirling Castle is preserved just as it stood over centuries ago. The Castle has witnessed the coronation of numerous Scottish Kings and Queens, including the infamous Mary, Queen of Scots (who ruled at a time when a huge divide was growing between Protestants and Catholics...I found out that even today a Catholic cannot become the King or Queen of the England...talk about a long history!) Below is a panoramic video made from the courtyard at Stirling Castle.

Following our tour of the Castle, Rach then led us around Stirling showing us some other local sights and sounds. Indeed, Stirling is a quaint, little town, and I was amazed as Rach practically knew almost everyone on the streets. Later that night, we had a nice supper and spent time with some of Rach's friends. (Seeing as Rach was set to leave Scotland at the end of the week, she took the opportunity to order haggis...review my own adventure with this culinary curiosity here.)

Day 2 (Saturday, May 24)
We awoke early and travelled north to Dunblane where Rach and Lauren had previously committed to help with a Rotary-related fundraiser, a rubber duck river race! It was great fun and we all assisted in a variety of ways either helping to set up barricades, selling ducks, etc. In the end around 4,000 little yellow ducks made the plunge into the river as you can see in the picture at right.

The Rotary Club of Bridge of Allan and Dunblane put on a great event as a traditional Scottish bagpipe band entertained the crowds, and a parade made its way through the center of town to set the event off on the right foot. As we soon happily discovered, the band's drum major was a Rotarian so he was able to offer us a good hands-on experience with the bagpipes and drums used in the musical troupe. I tried blowing those bagpipes, and I will admit they are difficult...you have to continuously keep inflating air into the bladder while air exits through a secondary vent while simultaneously keeping precision on the recorder-like keys. My rendition sounded a bit like a dying cow bloated on fresh grass, but I'll happily let the band show you how it should sound in the video below.

After a great day of fundraising fellowship with Rotarians and Dunblane residents, a Rotarian dropped us back at Rach's place where we cooked a chicken and pasta dinner for the evening. Following dinner, we hiked up to see the Willam Wallace Monument (pictured at right). William Wallace was a Scottish war hero, and most people may know him through Mel Gibson's portrayal in Braveheart. Actually, a few years ago, a modern sculpture of William Wallace was constructed at the parking lot to the Monument, but the sculpture looked so much like Mel Gibson that it was deemed "historically inaccurate" and has since been removed.

Day 3 (Sunday, May 25)
On our third day, we headed over to St. Andrew's which is most famous for two items: the founding of golf and the education of a recent royal family member.

First, St. Andrews is known worldwide as the home of golf because the Royal and Ancient Golf Club, founded in 1754 and pictured at right, serves as the primary legislative authority over the game worldwide and also because the famous course is the most frequent venue for The Open Championship, the oldest of golf's major championships.

Second, the University of St. Andrews is where Prince William attended university a few years ago. They say that after his attendance, foreign students (primarily American...females) flocked to this University in record numbers.

After viewing the golf course and the university, we spent the rest of day enjoying ice cream and walking around some of the old sites in St. Andrews, including the ruins of both St. Andrew's Castle and St. Andrew's Cathedral (displayed in the video below).

Day 4 (Monday, May 26)
On my fourth and final day in Scotland, we enjoyed the simple, untamed, majestic countryside of Stirling. After packing a nice lunch, we hiked Dumyat. Although it's only about 1/3 of a mile high (so it's a mole hill compared to my Smoky Mountains), the trek was quite mountainous (but the sheep had little problem clinging to the steep cliffs). We trekked on and on, like in the video below, fighting wind but no rain thankfully. (Actually there was no rain during my entire time in Scotland...in fact, I got a mild sunburn which has helped to rid my face and arms of the white, London pastiness!) When we reached the top, we had our lunch and gazed around the spectacular views. The views from Dumyat made the River Forth, Stirling Castle, and Wallace Monument all seem like Monopoly play pieces.

After hiking Dumyat, we headed back to Rach's where we washed up and then took about an hour-long train to Glasgow. In Glasgow, we enjoyed walking around and had supper before I parted ways with Rach and Anna who returned to Stirling. Taking another midnight train, I arrived back in London on Tuesday morning at around 7 AM, where I began to get ready for a week of studying and a few more Rotary Club Scholar Talks.

Enjoy about 250 pictures online at my Webshots account below.

by jonathaninlondon

Term 3 Ends, Exams on Horizon...

2008-05-22T16:27:00.003-04:00

Today, I completed my third--and last--official term of classes at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine. Earlier this week, I had been busily finalizing assignments that were due in my last two classes: (1) Health Promotion Integrating Module (HPIM) and (2) Health Systems Organization and Leadership.

Since health promotion is the focus of my MPH, in HPIM we worked with groups to devise, develop, brand, and pitch a health promotion intervention to a fictitious health agency. Each group was given a subject, and my group's subject involved health inequities, or the differences in health outcomes between various ethnic, socioeconomic, or gender groups. Over the past few weeks, my group members and I worked very diligently in coming up with our intervention "Hearty Appetite: South Asian Cuisine Cooked Light!" (The full PDF can be found here, but essentially Hearty Appetite was a heart health cooking and nutrition program targeted to UK's South Asian population whose cardiovascular-related mortality and morbidity soar well above those of the general population.) We also got to pitch Hearty Appetite to a panel of top UK health officials which proved to be a very nice and worthwhile experience.

In Health Systems, I was able to more fully understand how the role of health systems--those at the governmental, corporate, and community levels--is growing increasingly important. In this class, I completed an essay which illustrated how US certificate-of-need programs (CON) should be favorably viewed as examples of health stewardship (or ways to better steer a health system). I was very excited to able to weave into the discussion some recent CON-related events from my home region concerning the unnecessary construction of a freestanding emergency care center. Feel free to read the essay here.

I highly enjoyed both of these classes because each gave me valuable practical experience that I will employ as both a physician champion and a patient advocate when I finish medical school years down the road.

Now, in less than one month on June 16th and 18th, I will take my final two exams, one covering basic materials related to public health (health econ, epidemiology, social research, etc.) and another covering health promotion related materials. I do look forward to them, but I know that once they're over, my year in London is almost complete too!

Two More Scholar Talks During a Hectic Week

2008-05-21T22:38:00.005-04:00

During this hectic week--as term 3 classes finish, reports become due, and I begin to pack for an extended weekend trip to Scotland--I managed to squeeze in two additional Scholar Talks with local Rotary Clubs.

On the evening of Monday, May 19, I visited with and spoke to the Rotary Club of Penge, which was located just south of London. Below I am exchanging banners with Secretary Bob Farley.

And earlier this evening, I gave a Scholar Talk to the Rotary Club of Islington, Highgate, and Muswell Hill. Below President Caroline Deys and I exchange club banners.

These great clubs were numbers 28 and 29 on the growing list of Rotary Clubs I have visited, and I anticipate this number to venture into the high-30s before I finally conclude my time in London in about one month.

Dragon Boat Racing (and Winning) in Canary Wharf

2008-05-18T19:45:00.006-04:00

If you can recall I raced (and placed third overall) with my home Rotary Clubs, the RCs of Johnson City-Morning and Johnson City, back in September 2007 shortly before I left to travel to London.

Quickly into my year here I happily discovered that the Rotary in London also has a Dragon Boat Race sponsored by the RC of Canary Wharf, down near the docklands area of the River Thames. Today, I was able to compete with the RC of Chigwell's Dragon Boat team which consisted of several Scouts as well. It was great fun reconnecting with a sport that I had only been introduced to several months before.

Above: The RC Chigwell boat (far boat) handedly beats another boat in the second of our three qualifying heats.

Well, I must say that Dragon Boat racing comes naturally to London Rotarians just as easily it does to East Tennessee Rotarians. Our Dragon Boat team finished first out of the half-dozen or so Rotary Club teams and placed fourth overall. (The first, second, and third place teams were only separated by 0.07 seconds so it was a close, competitive race.) It was great fun competing, and winning, with the Chigwell Rotarians and Scouts. As an Eagle Scout myself, I had a great time paddling with my English counterparts. I think the juxtaposition of me with both Rotarians and Scouts was quite fitting as the Scouts signify my past and the Rotarians embody my future. Furthermore, as I tell the Rotarians whom I meet, it's comforting for me to know that some of the items to which Rotarians in my home district commit themselves are the exact same items to which London Rotarians also pledge time. It just goes to show that Rotarians--while different in culture, language, and beliefs--are united in "service above self" especially committed to their local communities.

Below: Some of the RC Chigwell crewmates and I in between races.

Enjoy many additional pictures of the Rotary in London
Dragon Boat Race at my Webshots account below.

by jonathaninlondon

Farewall Scholar Tea at York Gate

2008-05-17T20:26:00.001-04:00

Today--as if weren't already apparent enough that this year is inevitably drawing to a close--District 1130 leadership threw a farewell tea for the Ambassadorial Scholars in London. Although quite a few of the Scholars have already left or were indisposed, I had a great time with:

Top row (L-R) -- Janice Raath, Tim Raath (District Foundation Chairman), Sue Jessel
Middle row (L-R) -- Jeremy Jessel (District Scholar Coordinator), Frank Carnaby, me
Bottom row (L-R) -- Cole Cole, Natsuko Fujimaki, Kay McClellan

Wonderful people, such as those pictured above in addition to numerous others in District 1130, have made my experiences in London most memorable. And those memories will soon be all I will have from my time abroad...as today marks one month and three days until I return to the USA.

My 26th and 27th Scholar Talks

2008-05-14T16:45:00.005-04:00

Over the past two days, I have spoken with two additional Rotary Clubs. On Monday I spoke with the Rotary Club of Southgate , and on Tuesday I was pleased to present at the Rotary Club of Hadley Wood.

Below left, I am exchanging Club banners with acting President Bonni-Belle Pickard of the RC of Southgate. Below right, I can be seen exchanging banners with President Tom Quinn of the RC of Hadley Wood.

Interestingly, both of these Rotary Clubs meet in the same venue, The Jolly Farmers Pub. (In the pictures below, you can easily recognize the wall light sconces.) In fact, because at least five separate District 1130 clubs meet in this pub they jokingly refer to it as the "Jolly Rotarian."

Springtime in London...When 24 Degrees is a Good Thing!

2008-05-10T14:30:00.005-04:00

Well, warm weather is upon us (but who knows for how long)!

These past few days, the temperature has averaged about 24 degrees...Celsius, and that's upward of 75 degrees Fahrenheit. Suffice it to say, the flowers in the parks have hastened their blooming rituals, and now they offer a beautiful sea of color. And it's not just the flowers feeling the positive effects of the weather. The sudden change in the weather definitely doesn't go unnoticed. In fact, from about 11 AM until 3 PM people can be found lounging on every available spot in the parks...it almost seems like the people themselves have sprouted from the ground following the warm weather.

Taking advantage of the weather, my friends and I have had several recent lunchtime picnics in the parks, including Coram's Fields and Russell Square, both very close to our dorm. It's absolutely beautiful, but we know that it won't last forever so we'll soak it up while it's here!

25th Scholar Talk with RC of Mill Hill

2008-05-06T22:09:00.003-04:00

Earlier tonight, I spoke with my 25th Rotary Club, the RC of Mill Hill in northwest London. At left, I am exchanging Club banners with President Michael Moradian.

The Club meets in a nice casual restuarant called the Toby Carvery, and the atmosphere was very collegial and familial. The delicious cuts of meat were complemented by bountiful selections of fresh vegetables. In eating with Rotarians in London, I have now gotten used to calling familiar vegetables less familiar names, including aubergine (eggplant) and courgette (zucchini).

Speaking with my 22nd, 23rd, and 24th Rotary Clubs

2008-05-02T15:49:00.010-04:00

As this entry's title suggests, I have now spoken with twenty-four Rotary Clubs in District 1130. During this past week, I have attended, and presented to, the following Rotary Clubs.

Monday, April 28 (7:00 PM):
Rotary Club of Lewisham

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Tuesday, April 29 (7:15 PM):
Rotary Club of Chigwell

Speaking to the RC of Chigwell was especially great for two reasons. First, the pub where the Club meets was living history as it was a favored pub of Sir Winston Churchill, one of the UK's most famous Prime Ministers. Upstairs the pub still had Churchill's favorite room where he took his pints. History's everywhere!

Second, I happily discovered that the Chigwell Rotarians are sponsoring a boat in the upcoming Dragon Boat Race to be held on May 19th, and they kindly offered me the opportunity to paddle with their team. Since I participated in a Dragon Boat Race with the RCs of Johnson City before I left the US, participating at the London event will serve as an uniquely memorable way to end my year abroad with Rotary.

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Thursday, May 1 (6:15 PM):
Rotary Club of Westminster East

Furthermore, I had a nice surprise when I spoke with the RC of Westminster East. The night I visited they were also hosting an Ambassadorial Scholar candidate who was up for selection as an aspiring outgoing scholar from District 1130. He told me that he wishes to study film in Los Angeles and aspires to develop documentary films with strong positive social values. I wish him luck and hope that he is able to fulfill his educational plans with Rotary's assistance.

These three Clubs nicely embody two of Rotary's key principles: completing community service and providing youth educational opportunities.

Me at the Rotary Youth Speaks National Finals (and meeting a special guest too)

2008-04-27T16:52:00.002-04:00

Whew, today, was a great day. Earlier I attended the National Finals for Rotary Youth Speaks. Rotary in Great Britain and Ireland (RIBI) has taken a very proactive and strategic approach in sponsoring youth-related programming across the various Rotary Districts. One component of these events is Rotary Youth Speaks in which teams (from both junior and senior divisions) compete in, as the name suggests, speech competitions.

As this event was the National Finals, the youth teams were exceptionally talented and well-poised. I had a great time in listening to the senior division as speakers and teams gave eloquent orations on a variety of topics including football, politics, world domination, and that immortal topic blondes and stupidity.

Today, I was also able to re-connect with RIBI President Allan Jagger (no relation to Mick Jagger...haha) and to meet Cherie Blair, the wife of former Prime Minister Tony Blair. Mrs. Blair was a very affable lady and spoke to me for a good five minutes or so, chatting about the US and my impressions of the UK.

Above-left: RIBI President Allan Jagger and I
Above-right: Cherie Blair and I

Rotary Youth Speaks stands as one of the most fun events I have attended in London for the above reasons. Also, I feel strongly that events such as this serve to empower youth to gain self-confidence which will be highly bankable in their futures regardless of profession.

Three More Scholar Talks and Celebrating St. George's Day

2008-04-24T22:43:00.008-04:00

Over the past few days--in addition to beginning my Health Systems class--I have spoken to three additional Rotary Clubs as detailed in the following list:

Wednesday, April 23 (12:15 PM):
Rotary Club of Edgware & Stanmore

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Wednesday, April 23 (6:15PM):
Rotary Club of Streatham

Above, you can clearly see the English roses that President Chan and I are wearing in addition to my English flag hat. Well, let me tell you a little about this...tonight the RC of Streatham was celebrating St. George's Day (as was the rest of England). St. George's Day is a holiday to honor St. George, who is the patron saint of England. Learn more about this festive historical event and the great man St. George here.

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Thursday, April 24 (6:00PM):
Rotary Club of Leytonstone & Woodford

Speaking to these three Rotary Clubs--numbers 19, 20, and 21 respectively--was, as always, a great experience for me. I especially enjoyed learning about St. George with the RC of Streatham, helping to further international understanding, one of Rotary International's central principles.

(Finally) Back in London, LSHTM Term 3 Classes Begin

2008-04-22T23:04:00.003-04:00

If you will recall, I had some trouble getting back home to my beloved East Tennessee about three weeks ago. Well, I believe in "balance" and, today, I experienced equally as much hassle in getting back into London! I was originally scheduled to have arrived back in to London yesterday, but because of flight delays I was postponed yet again. Thankfully, however, I was not hopelessly stuck in Philadelphia this time; instead, I recieved a phone call from a USAir representative as I was leaving my driveway to go catch my first flight from the Tri-Cities Regional airport. Therefore, at least I got to sleep in my own bed and enjoy one last supper with family before I headed back to WC1N 1AS (my post code in central London).

Today, I officially began Term 3--the last term--classes at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. Now, on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesday mornings, I will attend a Health Promotion Integrating Module class where we will be expected to devise, design, and develop a fictitious health promotion program. Then on Wednesday afternoons, Thursdays, and Fridays, I have a Health Systems class in which I learn the finer details of how health care systems are organized, managed, and directed at the community, corporate, and national levels.

In all the things I do, I always try to be a trooper; therefore, despite being rather exhausted due to my ammended travel plans, I was able to speak to my eighteenth Rotary Club in London, the Rotary Club of Chiswick & Brentford earlier tonight. To the left, I am exchanging club banners with President Alexandra. Interestingly enough, this Rotary Club meets at the exact same venue (a Polish cultural center) as does the Rotary Club of Hammersmith...with which was the last club I spoke before heading for home!

Finally, in addition to settling back into my new public health classes, I will be speaking to three more Rotary Clubs this week alone, and I can't wait!

Me...a Rotary Paul Harris Fellow?

2008-04-10T19:33:00.000-04:00

Earlier today I awoke bright and early to attend the weekly meeting of my sponsoring Rotary Club, the Rotary Club of Johnson City-Morning at the local country club. Although I had also seen the Club last Thursday (soon after getting back home), today I was prepared to give an update about my time in London thus far...but I was hardly prepared for what was to occur.

All goes well as I am giving my talk with my Rotarian friends: telling them what public health classes I had been taking, what Rotary-related business I had been involved with, and what upcoming events I was looking forward to back in London. After I am done, I take my seat...and I thought we would conclude the meeting like usual. Well, not quite.

Instead of reciting the Four-Way Test, President Bo calls on my sponsor counselor, Don York, to come to the front. Don then sets off informing the Club that they had collected enough money during the interim to have another Club Paul Harris Fellowship. (Most typically, Paul Harris Fellowships are awarded to Rotarians who contribute at least $1,000 to The Rotary Foundation, Rotary International's philanthropic arm which is propelled by donations from the 1.2+ million global Rotarians to extend a positive reach worldwide.) Well, as I find out the RC of Johnson City-Morning often takes up odd dollars here and there in order to fund a Paul Harris Fellowship. Then a Rotarian is picked out of a hat, and he or she is slated to be the official recipient of the Paul Harris Fellowship. Don lets us know that Jo Anne Paty "won" the right to this most recent Paul Harris Fellowship.

So, Jo Anne takes the lectern and lets us know that she is going to follow the precedent set by the previous Rotarian recipient and, therefore, has decided to give this Paul Harris Fellowship to someone else. Well, I quickly find out that that someone else was ME! As I told the Club, I have been privileged to do many things with Rotary, and I don't think I'll ever be able to adequately "repay" Rotary for these many great opportunities. And now given that Jo Anne and my Rotary Club has given me one more great thing--the honor of this Paul Harris Fellowship--I don't think I'll ever be able to break even. So I this just propels me to provide even more scholar talks and Rotary meetings...and I don't mind a bit.

Above L-R is Don York (my sponsor counselor who graduated from the my high school alma mater, University High...in fact, this is why he decided to be my counselor), Jo Anne Paty, me with the Paul Harris Fellow medallion and certificate in tow, and Margie and Jim Barry (my wonderful parents...the Club arranged for them to sneak in at the end of the meeting as I was receiving the Paul Harris Fellowship). It was quite well played overall. I thoroughly enjoyed it and greatly appreciate it.

The Practicality of two Culture's Colloquialisms

2008-04-06T20:09:00.002-04:00

It is often remarked that what is said in one area might not always be what is heard in another.

Cases about "cultural misspeaking" abound, and as we know it, there are several fun colloquialisms between the US and the UK that keep us "two countries separated by a common language"--something I often here when out and about. For instance, here in London, I take care to say trousers when I would say pants in the US. (Pants are the underclothing type here if you get what I mean.) Furthermore, where we would walk on the sidewalk in East Tennessee, I take care to walk on the "pavement" here along the streets of London. It seems funny that such words can evolve to mean entirely different things depending upon your cultural perspective and heritage.

We'll earlier this weekend, I thought of a really good case of cultural misspeaking and it occurred when I was back at my collegiate alma mater (Wake Forest University) enjoying an annual springtime dance with some friends. Well, the annual dance is called "Shag on the Mag" and it is so named because we do the Carolina Shag under a big tent on the Magnolia Quad on campus. (I love Shag on the Mag because it's a great time when I can bust out the sheersucker suit...come on, I couldn't pull that off in London...the orange color is far too bright for their blacks and grays in addition its not warm enough for sheersucker.)

Well, suffice it to say but "shag" has a different connotation over here, one more in line with the horizontal variety Austin Power liked to talk about. This is why when we travel, one must take care to avoid cultural misspeaking or there may be some raised eyebrows and curious gazes.

Oh, the Travel Troubles...

2008-04-02T15:37:00.000-04:00

We've all probably been there...airline travel troubles. Yesterday, I left London's Heathrow at 1:05 PM. After two connections--one in Philadelphia and the other in Charlotte--I was supposed to arrive at my local airport in the Tri-Cities (TN) by 11:30 PM.

All things went well from Heathrow. I was flying US Airways so I didn't encounter any problems flying out of Heathrow unlike many British Airways flyers leaving from Heathrow's new Terminal 5. A few hours later, I arrived in Philadelphia with no problems. After grabbing a sandwich to eat, I found the departure gate and began settling in with fellow passengers. As we waited, however, we soon discovered that the airplane that was to take us to Charlotte was delayed in another city. No problem, right...that just meant we would be waiting a little longer. Well we waited, waited, and waited. They pushed the departure time from 7 PM to 7:30 to 8:15 to 8:50 to 9:20...then they announced that the plane wasn't coming in. So we all headed over to re-book flights.

The majority of people beat me to the customer service so I wasn't able to get a flight to Charlotte until the following morning. So I was ready to spend the night in the airport, getting no sleep, until the next morning. But I talked for a bit with the customer service agent and let her know that I had travelled from London, and she booked me a great hotel suite for the night complete with meal vouchers. I took a short video detailing my travel troubles and my hotel suite below.

After a good night's sleep and a refreshing shower, I completed my travel to Charlotte and then arrived home around Noon today. I am going to be in the US until April 20th, and I'll enjoy my time here seeing family and friends with a road trip scheduled back to my college later this week and some other fun along the way.

Scholar Talk with the RC of Hammersmith

2008-03-29T18:41:00.002-04:00

SEVENTEEN and counting! That's right, earlier I spoke with my 17th Rotary Club, the Rotary Club of Hammersmith. The funny thing is: two days ago I ate Polish pancakes with the RC of Balham, and today although we met in the Lowiczanka Polish Restaurant of Hammersmith's Polish Cultural Centers club, we had "simple" lamb chops. In the picture (at left), I am exchanging Club banners with President Muhamed.

Each time I meet new Rotarians, it's a new adventure, and one of the items that I like about Rotary is the commitment to international fellowship and understanding. As a part of this commitment, each Rotarian is able to attend Club meetings whenever he or she may be a the current moment in time. As a result, although businessmen and women may be away from their homes and home Clubs, there's simply no excuse to miss a meeting as, more than likely, a Rotary Club is somewhere in the neighborhood they're visiting. As a result, today there were two visiting Rotarians, one from St. Ives (in England, north of London) and another from Austria. Oh, the interesting people I pleased to met!

ALthough, I have already spoken to seven more Clubs than required by The Rotary Foundation, over the next two months, I anticipate more than doubling this figure. Indeed, I look forward to meeting more Rotarians and learning more about Rotary in District 1130! But, in the mean time, I look forward to travelling home next week and spending a couple of weeks with friends and family.

Scholar Talk "Double Feature" with RCs of Edmonton and Ealing

2008-03-26T23:13:00.002-04:00

Today, I spent a wonderful time entertaining two separate Rotary Clubs around London.

First, I had a lunch time meeting with the Rotary Club of Edmonton. Then, after spending a few hours with these Rotarians, I headed back into central London to rest up and prepare for my evening meeting with the Rotary Club of Ealing. (Below left, I am exchanging banners with President Peter of the RC of Edmonton. Below right, I am exchanging banners with President Simeon of the RC of Ealing.)

Speaking to the RCs of Edmonton and Ealing back-to-back helped to present a good picture of how individual the various Rotary Clubs can be. The Edmonton club is considered a medium-large club for London with 30+ members while the Ealing group was a much more intimate club with about eight members present this evening. The Edmonton Rotarians had a more formal set-up with two long parallel tabes connected by a head table; the President's chair was much larger and ornate than the chairs of other members; the meeting venue was filled with wall hangings of tens upon tens of Rotary Club banners from all over the world (as you can see in the above left picture); each Rotary Club officer wears regalia (read: fancy medallions wore around their necks, much like American University Presidents). On the other hand, Ealing took up two simple tables in a local restaurant; the President had no special chair; no Rotary decorations surrounded the meeting space; no officers wore regalia. All in all, however, each Rotarian--from whichever club he or she hails--stands connected in spirit and service.

As I have first handedly seen, it takes each club--those small, medium, large, and huge--to keep the Rotary gear inching forward, helping to keep "humanity in motion." Speaking of this Rotary slogan ("humanity in motion" which I quite like), take a gander below at some excellent public relation ads for Rotary. I thinks these ads speak very well, and succinctly, about what Rotary is.

Watch "When you start with Rotary"
Watch "Lending a hand"
Watch "You can..."

The above ads are linked from Rotary International's official website (www.rotary.org).

Scholar Talk with RC of Balham

2008-03-25T22:43:00.001-04:00

Earlier I spoke with my 14th Rotary Club, the Rotary Club of Balham. The Balham Rotarians were an entertaining, tight-knit group. It was nice speaking to them and eating an authentic Polish dinner with pancakes, beef, and sour cream...my description of this is not that good, but the meal was tasty.

At right, I am exchanging club banners with Rotarian Mike from their club. Tomorrow, I am speaking with two Rotary Clubs, and then I have one more Rotary Scholar Talk scheduled on Friday to round out the week.

Term 2 Ends, Jonathan Welcomes the Break

2008-03-20T16:27:00.001-04:00

Whew! Today I attended my last public health class for a while as we put a close to Term 2 at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine earlier this afternoon, and boy am I glad. I need a bit of break.

You see just this morning and yesterday, I turned in two 30+ page reports--one on the cost-effectiveness of HAART (highly active antiretroviral treatment) for HIV/AIDS patients in South Africa (for my economic evaluation class) and another report examining the Duke University Health System medical mishap in which surgical instruments were mistakenly "washed" in hydraulic fluid (for my organizational management class). I really enjoyed these two classes during this half of the term.

Economic evaluation taught me valuable tools that health care officials use to value the "costs and consequences" of various health care interventions. Essentially, we learned the ways to measure the cost-effectiveness of various health care interventions which can commonly include drugs, health promotion programs, health education initiatives, or doing nothing...as that is always an option in the field of health. A lot of people don't particularly like economic evaluation or they think that valuation of such health care interventions is impersonal, but the reality is that health care systems the world over--regardless of provider structure or payment system--are feeling the synergistic squeeze of growing claims and dwindling resources. Therefore, it's important that health systems spend their money wisely and are able to get the best bang for their buck or pound or Euro or what have you.

Organizational management was another interesting class as we learned real-life methods on how to best manage health personnel, patients, and systems from a variety of health care executives and organizational leaders. For the major part of our assessment we had to take a health care-related organizational management problem from our lives and succinctly diagnose the problem, analyze the response, and offer recommendations for handling future similar problems. I choose to look at a recent problem encountered by Duke University Health System where the health care organization successfully weathered a very turbulent public relations storm after 3000+ patients were exposed to surgical instruments that had been mistakenly washed in hydraulic fluid instead of detergent. I really enjoyed this organizational management class, and this Duke case study in particular, because it's important to not only acknowledge when problems arise in health care but more importantly to be prepared to confront these problems head on.

Feel free to give either of these reports a browse as I'm very happy with them. The economic evaluation report on HAART for AIDS is here while the case study on the Duke hydraulic fluid incident can be found here.

Now, I look forward to enjoying a restful Easter weekend around London with some friends and then spend the upcoming week completing four more Rotary Scholar Talks before I head back home to Tennessee for a few weeks.

Scholar Talk with RC of Enfield

2008-03-17T22:47:00.006-04:00

Happy St. Patrick's Day!! (You can see I wore my green...and I hope you did as well.)

Tonight, I completed my 13th Scholar Talk as I had the privilege of speaking with Rotarians from the Rotary Club of Enfield. Enfield is the northernmost London borough, one of thirty-two small governing geographic areas that compose greater London. At right, I am exchanging Club banners with President Alan. Tonight's meeting was special because I wasn't the youngest person present...ha ha, no seriously though the Rotary Club of Enfield had invited several top students from area high schools. These students were the head boys and head girls--basically the top excelling students--from their respective schools. The Enfield Rotarians had invited these students to help connect them with Rotary and to field potential future service projects for the Club with these high schools.

I greatly enjoyed talking with the students who, as I quickly discovered, had numerous questions for me about life as an American..."what's college like?"..."what's a 'down' in American football?"..."so, who are you voting for?"...etc. In delivering my talk, I took the opportunity to enthusiastically sell the Rotary International Ambassadorial Scholarship program to the youth present there tonight. Because I thought that maybe one day, one of those very students--after he or she had completed college--will be able to earn a graduate degree from an American or Australian, Canadian or Japanese university. After all, who knows where they could go with Rotary as a partner?

All in all, tonight was another great opportunity to reconnect with Rotarians as I have enjoyed a bit of a break over the last two weeks regarding Club speaking engagements. Don't worry, however, as public health school has kept me quite busy in the mean time. In fact, this Thursday Term 2 classes will end at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, and I won't be the least bit sad. It's time for a break!

Scholar Talk with RC of The City & Shoreditch

2008-03-06T22:21:00.000-05:00

Just a few minutes ago I returned from--you guessed it--another Rotary Club meeting. Tonight, I was pleased to talk with the Rotary Club of The City & Shoreditch. As I found out, however, this Rotary Club has a very international flare. In fact of the 20 or so people present this evening, only one--a visiting Assistant Governor for District 1130--was actually British. The rest were people of mostly Italian or German heritage, and then, of course, there was me...the Tennessee Twang-ed American, ha ha.

As the club's venue was just three Tube stations away from my central London location, I didn't have to leave too early, but I choose to leave enough time to stop by St. Paul's Cathedral, which was right around the meeting venue. St. Paul's, as you can see in the above picture, is a lovely and grand Anglican cathedral. I have yet to visit inside the cathedral, but after taking a virtual tour online this church is absolutely massive and stunning. Here...see for yourself and take a peek at this online virtual tour. Also, find out more about St. Paul's here. The cathedral is quite famous for its dome rotunda which bears a striking resemblance to the U.S. Capitol's rotunda (view here at this Wikipedia picture)...of course St. Paul's is much older. (In fact, that's still something I have trouble getting my head around: the fact that many of the buildings and landmarks in London are older than my very own country. Figuratively speaking, boy what a "baby" the US is!)

I had a lovely time this evening. Following my talk and club banner presentation with President Livia (at right), I spent a good time chatting with the Rotarians. In fact, one Rotarian was celebrating the birth of her first granddaughter. At the end of the evening, the club gave me a big box of Scottish Shortbread biscuits (i.e. cookies), and the Rotarian who won a bottle of wine in the club's raffle gave me his wine. All in all, it was another great Rotary meeting. I'll tell you, these Rotarians have got to stop spoiling me...

Scholar Talk with RC of Roding

2008-03-04T17:02:00.001-05:00

Today, I suppose you could say that I had a Rotary "Breakfast Club" day. I awoke bright and early this morning--at 5:00 AM mind you. Why? Because I had another Scholar Talk to give, this time to the Rotary Club of Roding.

Unlike my previous ten talks, however, this one was special because it was my first time speaking to a London Rotary Club that meets in the morning; all the others have been either noon or evening meetings. I'm a morning person though, and in fact speaking to the Roding club was very similar to spending time with my sponsoring club, the Rotary Club of Johnson City-Morning. After all, both the JC-Morning and Roding clubs meet at a country club around the same time 7:30 AM.

So I caught pretty much the earliest Tube train this morning and made a 40 minute trip to Buckhurst Hill, which is northwest of central London. Jean, a very friendly Rotarian, met me at the station and took me to her club's meeting venue. After chatting with several Rotarians and enjoying a full English breakfast, I gave my speech and presented club banners with President Amal (above). Then I headed back into central London to complete a half-day of lectures and seminars on Economic Evaluation at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.

Charity, Trivia, and Grades

2008-03-01T09:17:00.000-05:00

Last night I had a great time testing my trivial knowledge with some Rotarians at the annual Quiz Night hosted by the Rotary Club of Hanwell & Northfields. The Quiz Night is a type of charity in which participants pay a small entry fee, form teams, enjoy supper, and compete to raise money for a local charity by answering general quiz questions. The RC of Hanwell & Northfields had selected The Institute of Cancer Research as the recipient charity for this particular Quiz Night.

Richard and Andrew (two Rotarians from Hanwell & Northfields); Mark, Donna, and Miriam (three Ealing Rotaractors -- an organization similar to Rotary whose members are between 18 and 30 years of age); Gaby (a current French Rotarian who is looking to officially join a London Rotary Club and has been visiting Hanwell & Northfields quite a bit recently) and I formed "Team B" for the evening. Our first task was to jazz up the dull "Team B" name for our group, and given our younger ages, I suggested "The Kiddie Table". The suggestion was unanimously approved, and we were ready for the evening to begin.

There were eight rounds in total each of which had a particular topic, ranging from random trivia and sports to science/nature and TV. As a team we started off very well, and we were actually tied for the lead after round four. Round five, however, which was "famous and infamous women" proved our downfall and our lead quickly disappeared thereafter. By the conclusion of the evening, "The Kiddie Table" placed fifth out of eleven teams, but the clear winner of the event was The Institute for Cancer Research for which we raised over 1200 Great British Pounds, or about US $2400.

Above L-R: Richard, me, Mark, Donna, Miriam, Andrew,

and Gaby A.K.A. "The Kiddie Table"

After the Quiz Night, I traveled back home into central London on the Tube. Before arriving back at International Hall, however, I stopped by my school to pick up the results from my two previous module classes as I had received an email earlier in the day indicating they had been marked and were ready for collection. I am happy to report that I received an "A" in both my Health Care Evaluation and Health Promotion Approaches & Methods modules which ran from January 7th to February 8th. So that's 20% of my final grade completed to date...I'll just have to keep it up!

Rotary Events Everywhere...and I couldn't be happier!

2008-02-26T23:48:00.001-05:00

This is proving to be a really good week for Rotary events. So far I've competed both a scholar dinner and another scholar talk--my tenth talk in London--and I have an upcoming charity quiz night.

- - -

First, on Monday evening (yesterday), I was a guest to the Rotary Club of Radlett for their annual Ambassadorial Scholars Dinner. It was a good chance to reconnect not only with some of the other scholars in the area but also the Radlett Rotarians whose club I had spoken to about a month ago. Also present at the dinner were various host counselors, Rotarian spouses, and District 1130 Governor Colin Mathews. Below is a group scholar shot from the event.

From L-R, on the bottom row are Denise Davis, Bryn Weaver, Natsuko Fujimaki, RC of Radlett President Sylvia Cohen; on the middle row are Kay McClellan, District 1130 Governor Colin Mathews, Patricia Torres; and on the top row are Frank Carnaby, me, and Britta Gruenig.

- - -

Second, earlier tonight, I spoke with the RC of Paddington in central London. Like previous talks, it was a good meeting. There were also two visitors to the club, a Dutch Rotarian named Sandra and an Ambassadorial Scholar alumnus named Will who, as a fellow American, had studied business in Singapore about a decade ago. So it was nice to talk to these guests, and that's one of the nicest things about Rotary is that no matter where you go--such as traveling for work like Sandra or moving for work like Will--there is most likely a friendly Rotary Club somewhere nearby just beckoning you to visit and "sit a spell". As is customary, above, I am presenting a Johnson City Morning Rotary Club banner to David Formosa, President of the Rotary Club of Paddington.

- - -

Third, since I spoke with the Paddington Rotarians tonight, I missed my hosting club's--Rotary Club of Hanwell & Northfields--weekly meeting. No worries though, because later this week on Friday evening I will be reconnecting with my hosting Rotarians at the Rotary Club's Quiz Night. I have never been to a formal quiz night, so I anticipate a good time with fellowship and raising money for local charities. And, of course, you'll be able to read all about it soon enough.

Americana: "The Breakfast Club" in London

2008-02-24T13:27:00.000-05:00

When people travel or are away from home for extended periods of time, they often look to "simple pleasures" that remind them of what may lie 4000 miles away. Yesterday was just such a day for me. A group of friends (non-Americans and Americans) and I enjoyed a late brunch at a restaurant called "The Breakfast Club" (yes reminiscent of those adolescent American actors from the 1980's so-called Brat Pack).

Above: L-R we have Laura, Abdul, Chiho, me, and Lydia
after our brunch at The Breakfast Club.

The Breakfast Club was quite good and allowed me the first time to have an "All-American" breakfast. So I enjoyed feasting on sunny-side up eggs, tasty sausage, Americanized "stringy" and crispy bacon, pancakes with maple syrup, and freshly-squeezed orange juice. It was especially good to have my normal bacon and the pancakes; you see pancakes aren't really a British thing. Instead, they choose to have crepes versus pancakes, and even these pancakes could have been just a bit thicker and plumper. In fact, one in group, Lydia, commented that the pancakes were a bit too "crepe-ish" for her liking. In all, however, The Breakfast Club presented a good helping in a great setting as pictures of Americans dot the restaurant's walls including a good mix of candid unknown family shots and head shots of famous Americans including semi-Tennessean Elvis Presley whose picture was above our table.

Happy 103rd Birthday Rotary!

2008-02-23T23:17:00.001-05:00

How many items--people, organizations, companies, churches, etc.--do you know that are over 100 years old? Go ahead, I'll give you a minute to collect your thoughts. (Jeopardy! theme music goes here.) Well, you probably weren't able to name too many items that old since ten decades is quite an accomplishment for just about anything! Well I'm proud to report that today marks Rotary International's 103rd year since it was founded by Paul Harris.

Paul Harris, a Chicago attorney, envisioned a professional service organization that exuded the "same friendly spirit he had felt in the small towns of his youth". Well I certainly think that Paul had the right vision, and that--more importantly--everyday men, and later women, helped to make Rotary what it is today: the premier global organization promoting "Service Above Self" with members who are committed to high ethical standards as revealed by the "Four-Way Test".

In case you're interested, Rotary's website has a great section on the history of its founding here. Above is a picture of the Rotary International logo as it was beamed onto the Houses of Parliament in Westminister this evening. The text reads "END POLIO NOW" and signifies one of Rotary's hallmark programs, PolioPlus which aims to eradicate polio from the globe. In fact, Rotary is currently seeking to fundraise $100,000,000 in order to get an additional $100,000,000 from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to continue their quest in fighting this crippling disease in the developing world. Currently, polio exists only in four countries: India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Nigeria.

Indeed, it's at a time like this that I think the words of Margaret Mead can be no more meaningful: "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed people can change the world; indeed, it is the only thing that ever has." I agree and view Rotary as a living example of this. I wish Rotary the world-over an additional century full of prosperous growth in both old and new global ventures...yet a question beckons: after curing polio, to what will Rotarians commit themselves? Certainly, your guess is as good as mine, but--one thing is for certain--they will succeed. They will succeed I know, and I intend to help them.

When Visitors Become Tour Guides

2008-02-20T23:32:00.002-05:00

It's one thing to be a "tourist," but it's an entirely different thing to be a "Londoner." Tourists are easy to spot because a) they travel in herds like cattle, b) they have a great tendency to stop right in front of you in the middle of the sidewalk, and c) they have those generally confused faces on the Tube. Well, thankfully, at this point I am happy to consider myself a Londoner, or at the very least an extended academic tourist (although Londoner has a better ring to it). Today I was excited to welcome a tourist and fellow friend from North America and show her around London a bit. You see here's where I am able to pride myself on my ability to navigate the Tube and know, by heart, the location of the city's major landmarks.

Well, I think I did pretty well. I took Monica all around central London...Buckingham Palace, Hyde Park, the National Gallery, the British Museum, Trafalgar Square, the River Thames, Tower Bridge, Parliament...yes, the works! Monica was visiting from Ottawa, Canada. I had befriended her about three years ago when I, myself, was interning at the Canadian Public Health Association in Ottawa. She, and some of her Canadian friends, were extremely welcoming of me to their capital city so I thought I'd be very welcoming and show Monica around my current capital city. It was great to reconnect with Monica and increase my validity as a Londoner, all at the same time. (As you can tell by the scarves and gloves above, Monica even got to enjoy some of that "great" London weather.)

Mid-Term Report to The Rotary Foundation

2008-02-19T23:15:00.004-05:00

It's hard to believe that I have been in London since September. While I do miss my real home, family, and friends from both Gray and Johnson City, TN, I am now very comfortable in calling London a second home.

Inasmuch, I recently completed a mid-term report for The Rotary Foundation, the financial administrators for Rotary International's Ambassadorial Scholarship program. In keeping with the blogging of my dear friend and Scotland Ambassadorial Scholar Rachael, I have chosen to post up my mid-term report. It's an easy read. If you're so inclined, then please feel free to have a gander here.

Charity Race Night with Rotarians

2008-02-17T12:44:00.002-05:00

Last night, I attended a Charity Race Night co-sponsored by the Mayor of Ealing (pictured at left in the blue blouse at the betting table) and the Rotary Clubs of Hanwell & Northfields (my host Club) and Greenford. As I had never been to a Charity Race Night before, everything was new to me, and I had a wonderful time.

To my knowledge, Charity Race Nights are not too big back in the States (oh, by the way that's one thing I've noticed...when you leave the USA for an extended amount of time, you always seem to refer to it as "the States" by default...quite strange). Anyway, the racing involved in a Charity Race Night is horse racing although the horses are not raced in real time. Instead, there are a series of previously completed races which have been recorded to DVDs and are randomly selected throughout the night of the event. Careful editing ensures that no one knows which horse is what or who the winner is before the race; therefore, you are free to bid on which of eight horses you think will win each race.

My gambling skills proved pretty good. After betting a meager sum of one-and-a-half pounds, I was up by about ten to eleven pounds (about twenty US dollars) at the highlight of the evening. By the end of the night, however, I was dead even as those winnings had quickly left my pocket. That just goes to show that "the house" seems to always have the upper hand in these sort of things...but in this case, all the money went to support local charities so I'd say that there were no losers. Actually, as it turns out in the end, I came out quite a bit ahead as I won around a 50 pound (100 dollar) bottle of 17-year-old port wine in a raffle drawing. I'm planning on sharing the port with some friends in my intercollegiate hall when we can hold a good soirée, maybe a nice ending to term two classes in late March.

Scholar Talk with RC of Bush Hill Park (with VIDEO)

2008-02-13T23:29:00.012-05:00

I have just returned from the northern outskirts of London, after speaking to an enthusiastic bunch of Rotarians at the RC of Bush Hill Park. Well, recently I have received requests from some folks about "what exactly goes on at a Rotary Club meeting?" To help answer that question, I have decided to detail the play-by-play of tonight's earlier meeting.

Almost all Rotary Clubs meet once a week; these meetings may take place during the morning, noon, or evening hours depending on the prevailing view of the Rotarians. Most meetings also coincide with a meal being served to help facilitate fellowship.

Many Rotarians choose to begin aggregating around 30 minutes before the scheduled starting time for their meeting, and the Rotarians tonight were no different. After getting off from the Tube station, Rotarian Noor escorted me to the Club's meeting venue, The Jolly Farmers Pub. We arrived around 7:00 PM and were instantly met by friendly Rotarians in the parking lot out back. We headed into the pub and, after getting drinks, made our way into a private function room which proudly displayed the Rotary emblem and the UK and USA flags as well as numerous Rotary Club banners which had been collected from all around the world...I had a good feeling that they were about to add one more banner to their impressive collection, haha!

For the next thirty minutes, we chatted and enjoyed our drinks. We also made our selection as to which dinner we would like to be served. Then, at 7:30 PM sharp, President Mike Black rang the customary bell to signify the start of the meeting. Over the next few minutes, the Club Secretary presented some news, gave apologies from absent Rotarians, and welcomed guests, including me, for the evening. After a bit more Rotary business, the starter, main course, and dessert were served sequentially. Following dessert, there was a five minute break after which I was presented to the Club.

Most often, the substance of any Rotary Club meeting is typically a guest speaker. These speakers present on a range of different topics. For example, last week the RC Bush Hill Park guest speaker talked about the National Health Service's medical helicopter services. Tonight, I not only presented my normal scholar talk but also captured it on video using my digital camera. Therefore, I encourage you to visit and watch the presentation online here. It was a good night, if I do say so myself. At the conclusion of my talk, I exchanged Club banners with President Mike (above).

Following my talk, I answered questions from Rotarians about HOPE, my home district and club, my public health education, and future medical training. As expected, it was another great night...one that I am glad to share with you, in part, via video.

Scholar Talk with RC of Heston & Isleworth

2008-02-12T22:57:00.002-05:00

Earlier tonight, I spoke with my eighth Rotary Club, the RC of Heston & Isleworth. This was a great Club at which to speak, with members who were actively engaged by my primary messages, both those regarding Rotary and HOPE. In fact, a few Rotarians or their spouses worked with persons with disabilities, so there were quite a few lively questions which I readily answered. And to top it off, one of the Rotarians knew very well Greensboro, NC, which is around 20 miles away from Winston-Salem, the location of my undergraduate alma mater Wake Forest University. It turns out that his nephew attends college in Greensboro...now if that's not evidence for a small world, then I don't know what is! Above, I am exchanging banners with Club President-Elect Fred Fox.

Happy (Chinese) New Year!

2008-02-10T19:39:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year! No really, I'm not late...it's just a bit different than you might be thinking.

Remember, things don't always appear as you think they are. After all, this year in London--this time with Rotary--is supposed to foster greater international understanding and goodwill, two prime characteristics that will inevitably lead to a better, more productive world for us all.

In fact, February 7th officially marked the Chinese New Year, and I had the chance to take part in two key London events commemorating this event.

First, some flatmates and I went to the British Museum on Saturday, February 9th. The British Museum, which is less than five minutes from my pad, hosted a Chinese New Year 2008 celebration. We had a blast and we treated to:

Chinese games such as Mah-jong and Chinese Chess;

Chinese food appreciation;

Chinese cultural activities such as shadow puppet troupes & dance companies; and

storytelling and performances related to the Chinese Zodiac animals. (By the way, 2008 is the Year of the Rat...who is apparently parched and having a sip of my Chinese beverage above-left.)

Overall, this was a great night. Have a look at the video I took from a traditional shadow puppet show called "Mu Guiying Seeks Marriage".

The next day, on Sunday, we headed down to Trafalgar Square (site of the famous Christmas tree lighting I wrote about last December) to experience some more Chinese cultural events and activities. First, we saw the traditional dragon dance which was pretty interesting watching these two men in a dragon costume climb a pole in character. Click on the video below to see part of the dragon dance.

Now, what New Year's celebration is complete without fireworks? That's right none of them, including the Chinses New Year. As a result, our group headed up to Leicester Sqaure to watch some Chinese fireworks. I also took a video with the fireworks. As you can tell these are not at night...rather at 4 o'clock in the afternoon on a lovely day in London I might add. Still they were impressive to watch and loud to hear. In fact, I ended the video prematurely due to the increasing volume of the fireworks and huge firecrackers they were using. Take a look--and give a listen--below.

London is a great place for international activities, and this large Chinese New Year celebration is a great example of that. I can't think of too many greater places to expand your worldwide horizons and still know the language fluently without having to learn another one...haha!

Another Scholar Talk "Double Feature": RCs of Battersea & Clapham and Kensington

2008-02-06T23:49:00.000-05:00

Today, like last Monday, I spoke to another two Rotary Clubs--one at Noon and the other at supper time.

First, I had a great time speaking with the Rotarians from RC of Battersea & Clapham. To the left, I am exchanging banners with President Bob Knight.

Second, I enjoyed a lovely evening dinner and drinks with the RC of Kensington, one of the "posh"--read rich--areas of London. In fact, the Kensington Rotarians were entertaining Colin Matthews, Rotary District 1130's (London) Governor. It was nice to re-connect with Colin and meet some interesting Rotarians. At the right, I am exchanging banners with President Kornelia Kotseva, who is a consultant cardiologist. Kornelia and I had a good time that night ribbing Colin about saturated fats as he generously spread butter on his rolls...all in good fun.

I've got some more of these "double features" coming up in the weeks ahead, but I like them. It's double the excitement, double the people, and dare I say...double the food!

Scholar Talk "Double Feature" with RCs of Radlett and Canary Wharf

2008-01-28T23:27:00.000-05:00

Whew...now I think I know what it feels like to be a politician, tiring but good!

Today, I spoke to not just one but two Rotary Clubs. Following my morning Health Care Evaluation class at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, I traveled via rail to Radlett, which is just slightly north of the northernmost Tube station outside of greater London. I had a great time enjoying lunch, speaking to the Rotarians of the RC of Radlett, and exchanging Club banners with President Sylvia Cohen (below). The Club even arranged for me to have an English favorite, "toad in the hole". Although the name is quite odd, the dish was great. "Toad in the hole" is actually sausages that are cooked and baked into a doughy filling mixture (Yorkshire Pudding) as illustrated in the picture at left.

I arrived back to my pad in Central London a little after 3 PM. I headed up to my room and did some productive note taking to prepare for Tuesday's classes and seminars. Later during the evening I hoped again on the Tube and headed over to Canary Wharf. I was excited to see Canary Wharf. Canary Wharf is a well known, large business and shopping development i n London, located on the Isle of Dogs. Historically, it's shipping ports used to serve as the finest in London. Overtime, it's key vantage point along the River Thames solidified its current seat as a corporate hub with skysrapers housing HSBC, Citigroup, and Credit Suisse.

I greatly enjoyed speaking with the RC of Canary Wharf and its relatively young professional membership. Of course I exchanged banners with President Bart Kortum below. Plus, I was excited to learn that the RC of Canary Wharf Rotarians annually plan and host the London Dragon Boat Race. Due to my fond appreciation for Dragon Boat Racing, I eagerly informed Canary Wharf that I want to paddle for a Rotary team come this May when the race takes place. I think a Dragon Boat Race is the ideal way to conclude my time in London seeing as how paddling with the RCs of Johnson City and Johnson City-Morning back home is how I started this great adventure abroad...I can't wait!

Burns Night Supper with RC of Hanwell & Northfields: My First--and Not Last--Haggis Experience

2008-01-26T12:01:00.007-05:00

Yesterday, I enjoyed Burns Night with my hosting Club, the RC of Hanwell & Northfields. I must admit before last week I knew nothing about Burns Night, but as the week progressed I learned a lot and grew quite anxious for the evening event (especially as all the pubs in Central London kept advertising their own Burns Night events).

It turns out that Burns Night is named in honor of the Scottish poet Robert Burns. Although you probably don't realize it, Burns is the author of "Auld Lang Syne" which always helps to celebrate the New Year. Although the event itself is very fraternal and laid back with your best blokes and lady friends, a Burns Supper is actually a very sacred and traditional affair. Around a week ago, I was pleased to be asked by some Club members to take part in the Burns Supper parade.

At every Burns Night, haggis takes center stage. Haggis consists of sheep's "pluck" (heart, liver, and lungs) minced with onion, oatmeal, spices, and salt. And to top it off, this interesting concoction is traditionally boiled in the sheep's stomach for a few hours. This haggis, which is a Scottish dish, is then marched in by a parade of Scots men and other persons. This year, I had the privilege of carrying the platter containing the haggis. The haggis is then displayed on a front table and a Scots man--in traditional kilt and all--formally addresses the haggis using a form of old English that is almost completely incomprehensible. (Take a read over the traditional address at the Wikipedia link in the preceding paragraph.)

All in all, this was a great night and I enjoyed my inaugural haggis culinary experience. I'm always up to try some new food; at the very least, you just won't enjoy. Life's too short to say "no".

The dark material is the haggis, the yellow is parsnips, and the white is potatoes; this is also served with a shot of Scottish whiskey -- no TN Jack Daniel's.

2008 Scholar Conference at York Gate in London

2008-01-20T20:27:00.000-05:00

Earlier today, I attended an Ambassadorial Scholar Conference hosted at York Gate, Rotary in London's (District 1130) Headquarters. Lucky for me and the other London-based scholars who only had a few Tube stops to travel to get to the venue while other Scholars came from Glasgow, Oxford, and Cambridge...arguably some distance away and all over the British Isles. It was good opportunity to not only connect with some new Scholars but to also re-connect with Scholars I had previously met at Bournemouth and other Rotary events. Below is a picture of some of the delegates to this conference.

This conference, hosted by the RC of Harrow, provided an opportunity for about 43 Scholars located throughout the United Kingdom to come together and reflect on our time abroad thus far and to also offer ways to improve Rotary and the Ambassadorial Scholars program in the future. For the conference, scholars were divided into four discussion groups. Throughout the morning and afternoon, each of these four groups rotated throughout the venue discussing a variety of key areas, including future opportunities and challenges for Rotary, personal experiences of serving as Ambassadorial Scholars, etc. These groups worked quite well (see below center), and the discussion was highly fruitful. At the end of the conference, we all came together and presented our summarized discussions (as I am doing in the photograph at right). Speaking, speaking, speaking...and studying public health...that's my job in London, and I love it!

Back in London, Classes Back in Session at LSHTM

2008-01-07T16:49:00.000-05:00

Christmas is now over, TN is long gone, and I'm back in London. Today I started Term 2 classes at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. This term is pretty interesting. Unlike last term where we took six classes concurrently, this term I will take four classes--two at a time for a period of about three weeks. I had my first health care evaluation class today. I will have health care evaluation classes on Mondays and Tuesdays until February 11th, the start of our reading week. Later this week, I will also begin a health promotion approaches and methods class, which will take place on Thursdays and Fridays until the start of reading week as well.

Today, after reading my material for Tuesday's class, I snapped the above picture in the school's library stairwell indicating how I feel about classes resuming again. No, in all seriousness, although three weeks of no classes was a welcomed treat, I am glad to be back studying what I love, public health in a great city.

Christmas Tree Lighting in Trafalgar Square with Friends

2007-12-06T23:36:00.000-05:00

I can almost hear Christmas carols and smell the Christmas Day turkey bird! To help further along that Christmas spirit, some fellow public health grad students and I headed over to Trafalgar Square after our classes to see a Christmas tree lighting ceremony.

Soon I discovered this Trafalgar Square tree lighting is quite historic. Each year since 1947--my dad's year of birth, but he won't mind me disclosing his age!--a Christmas tree has been given to the people of London from the people of Norway in gratitude for Britain's support for Norway during World War II. Tonight, the Norwegian Prime Minister, the Mayor of Oslo (Norway), and the Lord Mayor of Westminster (one of London's 32 Burroughs and the location of Trafalgar Square) helped to commemorate this annual event.

Below is a picture of the lit Christmas tree in front of the fountain at Trafalgar Square. Additional pictures can be found at my Webshots acount.

To better share the moment, I also took two videos from the event. The first is around 6 minutes long and contains the introductory remarks from various London and Norwegian dignitaries as well as the lighting of the Christmas tree, along with some live commentary form yours truly. It's a bit too big for Blogger, but you can watch it here at my YouTube account.

The second video is a little over one minute long and contains some good live orchestra tunes along with a close-up of the Trafalgar Square Christmas tree.

Finally, let me be one of the first to wish you and yours a very MERRY CHRISTMAS, and Happy Holidays too!

Scholar Talk with RC of Dulwich & Peckham

2007-11-29T23:00:00.000-05:00

Two of 25 Scholar Talks completed...

Tonight, I spoke with my second Rotary Club audience, this time with the RC of Dulwich & Peckham. Similar to my first Scholar Talk with the RC of Hendon on November 5th, I highlighted each of the various aspects already presented (i.e. studying public health, interest in pediatrics, service with HOPE for children with disabilities, etc.) In the time since November 5th, however, I worked on creating some better transitions for what I am calling my "Scholar Stump Speech". (In case you are unaware, a stump speech is most commonly used in politics. It is a prepared speech that highlights the major accomplishments and visions of American Presidential candidates for instance. It is often tweaked very minimally and, therefore, resonates well from one location to another.) I think my stump speech follows a logical pattern now and has a nice flow. In fact--like many politicians--I know it quite well and don't need any notes at all. I just have a simple page that outlines the major sections--including my home Rotary District 7570, public health and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, and HOPE--for me. That way, I can keep track of where I have been and where I am going with my talk. Also, I can note the approximate amount of time remaining as each Rotary Club allots differing amounts of time for their guest speakers.

I did add some interesting information about what Rotary means to me. In my time in London thus far, I see that Rotary is about many voices yet one message. As such, I speak about the differences between Rotary Districts, especially those between North American Districts and such places as South America or the Middle East. Although each geographic area has marked differences regarding their political, economic, and cultural aspects, each area also shares strong similarities rooted deeply in "Service Above Self"--Rotary International's hallmark slogan. Indeed, this "Service Above Self" motto reveals itself through Rotary's global reach: its worldwide scholarship programs, emergency relief efforts (such as Hurricane Katrina in the USA, devastating flooding in the UK during summer 2007, and tsunamis the world over), and polio eradication efforts which parallel those of the World Health Organization and the USA's CDC. Although Rotary's global reach is expansive and impressive, I find that what keeps Rotary in motion is not at the global level; rather, it's at the individual Club level. Members attending their weekly meetings and giving to Rotary to support local charities and events in their own backyards is what I find most impressive about this global organization of some 1.2 million Rotarians. I find that with each passing day, I find something new about Rotary. In fact, I would dare say that a Rotarian with 40 years of membership still finds something new in Rotary with each passing moment. It is this spirit of service and evolution that keeps Rotary in motion, and I am glad--to a small extent--to help it grow through my participation as an Ambassadorial Scholar.

Finally, to wrap up the evening, I took pleasure in exchanging Rotary banners with the RC of Dulwich & Peckham below.

Scholar Talk with RC of Hendon -- My First One

2007-11-05T23:00:00.000-05:00

Of course, we are all familiar with that old saying, "There's no such thing as a free lunch." Well, the same can be said for Rotary. Tonight, I completed my first official scholar presentation with a Rotary Club. These scholar presentations--or talks as I like to refer to them--are the only obligation we, Scholars, have to Rotary International for them generously paying our $26,000+ tuition. Therefore, it fits well with that "no free lunch" bit. In all honesty, though, my inaugural talk was a great experience.

I wasn't particularly nervous at all as I tend to be quite extroverted and willing to chat with anyone about virtually anything. I had a great evening informing the Rotarians about my home Rotary District and the RC of Johnson City-Morning. I gave my general impressions of what Rotary means to me and of course thanked the Rotarians generously since these scholarships are funded on their dime--or 10 pence piece in the case of England. I gave an overview about my graduate course work in public health here in London. I informed the Rotarians that studying public health and earning my Master in Public Health (MPH) before medical school was personally and professionally important for me. I feel that earning my MPH before med school will expand my "health care horizon" and allow me to appreciate a broad perspective while studying a quite narrow subject such as that of medicine. In this way, I hope that as a practicing physician I will never fall victim to "tunnel vision" in which I place treatment above prevention, or procedure above patient. I related that right now I wish to serve as some sort of pediatric specialist, maybe a cardiologist or a neurologist.

After speaking briefly about my interest in pediatric neurology, I transitioned into the main portion of my 20 minute talk: children with disabilities, a very special population for whom I advocate very strongly. In doing so, I chose to focus on something very dear to my heart, my service work with Helping to Overcome Physical Expectations (HOPE). HOPE is a service organization, which I founded during my sophomore (2nd year for those outside the USA) of college, that partners college students and children with disabilities in one-on-one mentoring relationships. Finally, I fielded questions from Rotarians about my home District and Club, my time in London thus far, my future as a physician, and my work with HOPE and our current expansion to other colleges.

At the end of my talk, I presented Club President Laurence Winston with a banner from the RC of Johnson City-Morning on behalf of Club President Bo Dudney and our thirty some members back home (at right). In exchange, I gladly accepted a similar banner from the RC of Hendon from Laurence. The exchange of these club banners is a Rotary tradition as it creates a link between the various clubs all across the globe, much like patch trading in the Boy Scouts.

I now look forward to talking to many more Clubs during my time in London. Although Rotary International only requires each Scholar to complete 10 talks, I am going to try to talk to as many Clubs as I can, exchanging the 25 or so banners that the JC-Morning Rotary Club gave me for my time abroad.

Rotary District 1130 Conference in Eastbourne, England

2007-10-21T22:00:00.000-04:00

I spent this weekend in Eastbourne, a smaller city on the southeastern coast of England, attending Rotary District 1130's annual Conference. As is usual during any weekend when I am away from London on "official Rotary business," I had a wonderful time.

On Friday, October 19th I departed London via a National Rail train from Victoria Station. I have to admit it...I'm really getting used to traveling by train; it's quick, clean, efficient, and very smooth. One-and-a-half hours later, I had arrived in Eastbourne. After a quick two mile taxi ride from the train station, I then arrived at the Devonshire Park Hot el (seen at right). My stay at the Devonshire Park Hotel, which was thoughtfully provided by my host club (thank you!), was wonderful. There's something very special about European hotels. Although they clearly have the amenities that large scale hotel corporations provide, these quaint hotels offer a unique--almost enchanting--stay, truly enveloping you in a "hospitality cocoon" complete with a down home atmosphere. Each guest suite was different and the common rooms reminded me of parlors and drawing rooms from the Old South plantations.

Since I had several hours before any Rotary event, I took some time to familiarize myself with Eastbourne after settling into my hotel room. From previous online research, I had noted that Eastbourne had a wonderful and historic pier and coastal walkway. Therefore, I took no time in setting to the street and walking to this beautiful area. I didn't have to walk more than one-quarter mile, however, before I heard the serene ocean water breaking on the coast. The beaches there were unlike anything I had seen before. They weren't sandy, but rather very rocky, litered with millions of large and small smooth--almost perfectly smooth--river rocks (although I guess they wouldn't be river rocks but rather ocean rocks). Looking around I spotted the pier about one mile away, so I quickly made my way in that direction. Stepping out onto the pier, I felt as if I was taken back eighty years and the calendars read 1927, not 2007. The white and blue paint was thick and flaking in some places. There were twinkle lights stapled here and there along the side rails. Buildings lined the middle of the pier with small businesses selling "Fish and Chips" and "Seaside Candy." The atmosphere was enchanting. A slight breeze was growing with every step I took away from the coast. The pier offered terrific vistas of the cold, deep blue water and inviting and charming coast line. (Using my digital camera, I took a short video in an effort to try to capture some of the feeling. Experience the video by clicking on triangle pointing to the right below this paragraph.) After taking in a bit more of the pier and coast line, I headed back to the Devonshire to get ready for the evening's events.

First, I attended a Scholar reception hosted by District Governor Colin Mathews. This was a nice session with all twelve of the London-based Rotary Scholars in attendance. (Click here for a Rotary District 1130-produced document detailing more information on each of my wonderful Scholar colleagues.) Second, after the reception, I had dinner at the Devonshire with many members of my host club, the Rotary Club of Hanwell & Northfields. Third, after our long hearty dinner, several club members and I enjoyed some of the Rotary entertainment which included British comedian Tom O'Conner. He was funny, but I'll readily admit that some of the jokes involved British-context so they flew right over my head. Alas, following the show we returned to the Devonshire where I eagerly slept for Saturday's busy day.

I awoke early and had a nice long run along Eastbourne's coast. Following a traditional English breakfast complete with fried bread (yea, it's essentially toast that is then deep fried...not quite the healthiest food option), eggs, bacon (here read ham as it's basically salted country fried ham), stewed tomatoes, cooked mushrooms, and toast, I headed over to some plenary sessions at the conference venue. For the early and mid-afternoon, the twelve Rotary Scholars chatted and mingled with Rotarians from all across London. Later that afternoon, the Scholars and I participated in a forum in which we talked briefly about our home Districts and what we wanted to achieve from our year abroad in the UK. I took my turn to thank Rotary for this exceptional opportunity and to espouse my firm commitment to increasing cultural understanding and international dialogue particularly in the health arena. I compared this scholarship opportunity to an investment that Rotarians the world over were making in today's youth. Although this investment will not provide Rotarians any immediate, tangible return, hopefully the scholars it funds will make some impact on humanity; although this impact can be as small as one's community level, it can also be as large as the global level.

Above: All the Scholars on stage in Eastbourne. This is how we pay our dues to Rotary...talking, lots of fun talking! From left to right, you will see Bryn, Patricia, Sara, Tiago, Kay, Britta, Iginio, Natsuko, Denise, Cole, Frank, and I (in my Southern sear sucker, "Colonel Sanders" suit no less!)

Following the Scholar's forum, I headed back to the Devonshire where I again had dinner with my host club. This dinner had a sports theme; the dinning room was draped with English flags, and English paraphernalia (noise makers, stickers, party poppers, key rings, pins, etc.) met us at our place settings. But why? Well the Rugby World Cup was taking place at 8 PM Saturday night. Therefore, following another terrific dinner, we headed up the hotel pub and watched the Rugby match. Although I--like many Americans--am aware of Rugby, this was my first match. Several of the Rotarians had briefed me on Rugby rules during dinner; therefore, as I enjoyed the match, I understood why there were no downs and why the players weren't simply throwing the ball forward as American football players would the pigskin. (If you're interested you can read up on rugby here.) That night during the match, England was playing South Africa, and furthermore England was playing as the reigning World Champions since they had won the cup four years earlier in 2003. Although England lost the match 6-15, it was exciting to watch and experience with my Rotarian friends.

Following the rugby match, the Rotarians and I headed over to the conference venue for a dance-filled evening. After enjoying some 50's and 60's music, some Scholars and I headed out for a night-time stroll along the Eastbourne coast and pier. Eventually, we grew tired and returned to our individual hotels to turn in.

During breakfast the next morning, I had learned that the National Rail had decided to perform some routine track maintenance. This meant that instead of taking a simple one-way train trip back to London, I would have had to take a train, then a bus, followed by another train, and potentially even more buses. Thankfully, Richard--a Rotarian from my host club--was up at the same time as I and offered me a ride back to London via the Motorway (read Interstate). I eagerly accepted and away we went. It was nice to be back in a car..albeit on the other side which is quite daunting to get fully accustomed to. Driving my own car is one thing I look forward to when I return to Tennessee for Christmas break...simple things can bring me so much joy.

Above: Yes, that's a US citizen--me--beneath all those English items.

RIBI Link Weekend: Meeting Other Rotary Scholars in Bournemouth

2007-10-03T16:02:00.000-04:00

This past weekend I attended the Rotary in Great Britain and Ireland (RIBI) Link Weekend in Bournemouth, England. This conference was a gathering of over 100 Rotary scholars studying in England, Scotland, Wales, and Ireland.

Around noon on Friday, September 28th, Frank, Kay, and I--three of the London scholars--boarded a train for the trek to Bournemouth on the Southern coast of England. The train trip was nice, very smooth, and surprisingly not busy at all. Two hours later, we arrived in Bournemouth where we were greeted by friendly Rotarians who shuttled us off to a local hotel which served as the headquarters for the weekend's activities. Over the next few hours, as more Rotary Scholars arrived, we chatted in the hotel. I met scholars from virtually all over the globe: from the USA (including a good sampling of states north, south, east, and west), China, Japan, Germany, Australia, New Zealand, and France just to name a few. Once most of the scholars had arrived, the Link Weekend organizers assigned various scholars to Rotarians, who graciously opened their homes to host us for the following two nights. Bryn, another London Scholar, and I were hosted by Steve and Anne Lowe who lived in nearby Southampton.

Steve and Anne provided Bryn and I a wonderful time. We spent part of Friday evening at Steve and Anne's beautiful home before heading over to another Rotarian couple's house for a dinner party. We had a wonderful time enjoying some British cuisine, followed by deserts and cheese. The party lasted for sometime before Bryn, Steve, Anne, and I headed back to their house where we quickly headed to bed.

Bryn and I awoke early Saturday morning and then enjoyed a wonderful traditional English breakfast with Steve and Anne. The menu included good Southern favorites such as bacon, sausage, and egg. (This menu reminds me quite a bit of the Johnson City Morning Rotary Club's breakfast buffet at the JC Country Club!) But we also had an English specialty beans and toast which is quite nice I must say. After breakfast, Steve and Anne drove Bryn, some other local Scholars, and I to the local Poole Harbor. At Poole, all the Scholars were treated to a presentation by the Harbor Master and then we took a nice, long cruise around the coast. Thankfully the weather held up and it did not rain, even lthough the Rotarians were prepared and had presented each Scholar with a nice, large umbrella embossed with the Rotary International logo. After our leisurely boat cruise, we were shuttled back to the Carrington House Hotel.

At the hotel, we were treated to a wonderful night which included a fine supper and west country line dancing which proved to be quite similar to square dancing in the states. Although I am a southerner, I had to admit that I haven't square danced since 4th grade music class with Ms. Archie at Gray Elementary School. Suffice it to say, English west country dancing was great...and helped to burn away some of those calories I have been consuming from the traditionally greasy English breakfasts! Later that night, we headed back to Steve and Anne's for another restful evening.

Early Sunday morning Bryn and I awoke again to a wonderful home cooked breakfast before heading back to Bournemouth for the day's festivities. In Bournemouth, once again at the Carrington House Hotel, we participated in "business" activities which included seminars and discussions about what it means to serve as a Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar. Following lunch, we headed back to London via the train.

Overall, the RIBI Link Weekend in Bournemouth provided a wonderful time for fellowship with Rotarians and Scholars. I greatly enjoyed the hospitality displayed to me from host Rotarians and the budding friendships with other Rotary Scholars. Over the next few months, I look forward to engaging more closely with the Rotary Clubs in London and seeing again some of the wonderul faces I met while in Bournemouth.

Touristy Things Around London: "Flying" The London Eye

2007-09-26T17:35:00.000-04:00

In addition to finalizing paperwork and completing forms for the LSHTM, I have been getting to know both the city of London and the people over here during the past two days.

I have met many new faces from my course at the LSHTM and those living in International Hall (pictured directly below) with me. Thankfully, I have settled in quickly and comfortably, both with people and my surroundings. I'm not getting lost in the streets too much, and I'm not looking the wrong way down the road when trying to cross the street too much. (Thankfully, some "mate"--you have to get with the lingo--was smart enough, and kind enough, to paint "Look Right" on the pavement at most intersections. This has saved me more than once!)

Yesterday, the majority of my time was consumed by more orientation seminars and topical discussion sessions at the LSHTM. Today, however, orientation only lasted till around 1 PM, so I had some great time--and friends--to explore London during the afternoon. Following our orientation sessions, three public health students--Laura, Lauren, and I--grabbed a bite to eat at Marks and Spencer's Simply Food Cafe. By the way, their brie and tomato baguette is wonderful. After eating outside, we decided to explore a bit of "touristy" London...yes we were going to be those Americans with Sony CyberShots in hand who take pics of everything. But where were we going to explore? The day was getting chilly and potentially rainy yet we still wanted to explore London. No parks we agreed; those were to be left for another day. A museum; no let's save that for yet another day as well, perhaps a really rainy day. Well what then? Then I suggested we take a "flight" on the London Eye, and we agreed as none of us had done that yet.

Towering at 135 meters tall, the London Eye--also known as the Millennium Wheel--is one of the largest Ferris wheels in the world. It is located directly over the Thames and offers spectacular vistas of the London skyline; therefore, its no surprise that the London Eye has rather quickly evolved into one of the most popular tourist attractions. Since British Airways is the official sponsor of the London Eye attraction, they call it flying, in lieu of riding, the London Eye...pretty neat and catchy too. The picture below gives one an idea as to the shear size and proportions of the London Eye; each capsule can hold about 20-some people comfortably. And just in case you're wondering, each rotation of the wheel takes about 30 minutes so it allows you a great time to take in all the views.

Laura, Lauren, and I very much enjoyed our flight on the London Eye as you can tell by the picture below. It offered us the chance to take many pictures and orient ourselves with the locations of many great buildings and locations in London, including Buckingham Palace, British Parliament, Big Ben, several museums, and Westminster Abbey--all of which will be explored fully on later excursions. For now, please make sure to check out my pictures which are located in the "Around London Album 1" of my Webshot account. I will be adding new albums as soon as possible to this area as I explore more of London and hopefully Europe.

My First Day of Orientation at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine

2007-09-24T20:36:00.000-04:00

I awoke today to what I could easily say is the dreariest day I have experienced in a very long time. It was rainy, windy, and utterly wet. Between the rain, gusty winds of upward of 20 MPH, and huge puddles of water through which I had to trek, however, I made it safely to the refectory (cafeteria) at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) to begin what was to become a long, but productive, day of registration and orientation for MSc courses.

The one thing I like best about my London accommodation at International Hall is the close proximity to the LSHTM; I can be to my school in 10 minutes walking conservatively. This is a huge help as many students may have to travel for 40 minutes via Tube or some other method. As soon as I arrived at the refectory this morning, I fixed myself a cup of tea and had some English biscuits (cookies as we call them in the states) and had a seat among the herd of students that was quickly growing.

Fancy it that in a sea of people I would seat myself directly next to some other students who were intending to study public health, my same course of study. (You see the LSHTM is a leading graduate school for a myriad of courses not just public health. Other courses include medical statistics, community eye health, tropical disease vectors, veterinary epidemiology, parasitology, etc. Indeed the LSHTM's top rank among international schools of public health and its diversity of academic programs drew my interest so many months ago when I began to think about grad school.) For about 45 minutes this morning, I mingled in and out getting to know people and what they were going to study at the school. I met students from Canada, the United States, Great Britain, Tanzania, Kenya, South Africa, China, Japan...pretty much you name it--in fact I learned that the LSHTM hosts students from 120 countries!

Following the tea this morning, we headed as a large group over to an adjacent building for the administrative tasks of the day which included greetings from senior staff, important course information from registry, and timetables for the remainder of orientation week (as classes begin October 1st). Halfway through, the staff divided us into our MSc course groups. As expected public health was the largest with around 120 students. This is a bit misleading, however, as each public health student must eventually commit to one of five "streams" or specializations. I am most likely going to pursue the health promotion stream during my course of study here at the LSHTM. Lastly, we were provided our security cards for accessing the LSHTM buildings, properties, and other teaching facilities. Below is a quick picture of the "queues" (a.k.a. lines) we went through to register and get our security cards and photo IDs made. (They called us up by our birth month so that explains the "March" bit...interesting.)

For lunch they had prepared a lovely and large selection of diverse sandwiches, fruits, and desserts. Following lunch, we received some more course specific information regarding classes, modules, assessment, and timetables for the year. Finally, the last part of the first day included a Director's Party hosted in the Atrium of the LSHTM. It was a blast with Sir Andy Haines, the Director (i.e. Dean) of the LSHTM. "Sir Andy", as he's called, was a great host and quite witty and personable. He was randomly dropping in on students' conversations, and when he got to us he made some good jokes. I had posed a question about him being knighted by Queen Elizabeth II, but he said that he had to settle for Charles. Oh well...

Something tells me this school will forge some pretty good relationships among students and staff; only time will tell. Below I pose outside the LSHTM main entrance with three other American students (l-r: Sabrina, Laura, and Francine).

Tea at York Gate; Meeting Some of the Other Scholars

2007-09-23T22:52:00.000-04:00

This morning, I spent a good two hours taking an extensive walking tour of London, specifically the Camden borough in which I live. The tour was arranged by the staff of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, and it helped me to fine-tune my internal compass for navigating London without using the bus or Tube. Turns out, however, that since my cell phone--or mobile as the Brits call it--has unlimited data, I can download Google Maps and use it like a portable navi around...so I've been playing with this a lot today. I think it's so cool...below is a shot of my phone in action.

Later this afternoon, I attended a Welcome Tea hosted by Rotary International District 1130 (London). The Tea was held at Rotary's Headquarters at 6 York Gate (outside courtyard is pictured below), a very nice upscale and historical location right beside Regent's Park, which houses the London Zoo among other entities. This was my first official tea, and although I will never give up sweet Southern-style iced tea, I have somewhere along the lines--but I have no clue where--developed a taste for hot tea, of course served with milk. I met London Rotarians, a visiting Group Study Exchange (GSE) Team from Australia, and, of course, my colleagues in this adventure, the other Ambassadorial Scholars. In all, there are 12 scholars in London, but only seven of us (including myself) are currently in London and were able to make the tea. As an introductory welcome gift, the Rotary Club of Golders Green presented each scholar a personalized copy of "The Rough Guide to London"--a wonderfully rich touring text that I will most assuredly put to good use during my time abroad.

Below is the "gang" of 2007-2008 scholars. From left to right, we have myself, Natsuko, Patricia, Denise, Kay, Frank, and Sara. (Not pictured, but soon to be present in London, are Kerry, Ignio, Cole, Britta, and Bryn.)

I'm heading to bed now as I have class orientation and registration tomorrow bright and early.

Cheers, JB

First Days in London: A Fried Iron, Fun on the Tube, and a Trip to Marks and Spencer

2007-09-22T16:45:00.000-04:00

I AM IN LONDON!!

Whew, so much has happened over the past two days...so here are some brief bits.

My trip started with the usual family good-byes at the TRI (the regional airport back home). I flew into Cincinnati from the TRI and then left on my "big" plane, i.e. the one that was going to take me over the pond. I arrived in London at 9 AM, and my trip went well so I was very pleased. One-and-a-half hours (yes, it took that long) after waiting in line (or as the Brits would say "queue") to have my passport and visa checked and cleared, I met Alan my host counselor while I'm in London. It was quite nice to finally put a face to a name, and he generously helped with my plane luggage and the three parcels I had sent earlier to his place in London.

We travelled for some time, and that was a nice way to see the surrounding area. I also had several questions for Alan which he was nice enough to answer, especially ones about living in London, changing money, shopping, etc. A little past 1 PM, we arrived at International Hall (IH), one of several intercollegiate dormitories operated by the University of London. Alan helped me unload my gear and then he left. From there, I proceeded to check-in with the staff. The check-in process was quite easy, and once I surveyed my new room (N504) I began the tedious and time-consuming process of unpacking my items--the picture below captures the "so what do I do with everything now" look.

I must say however that the room is clean, moderately-sized for one person, and a very good value considering the extremely desirable part of London I'm living in. From my view on the fifth "penthouse" floor, I overlook a nice park and sporting area called Coram's Fields (see map here).

So in a few hours, I had my room looking a bit more like home and my closet filled with clothes. Exhausted from travelling and getting settled in, I fell asleep early....and stayed asleep until 11 AM this morning. (Hey, I can most definitely blame it on the jet-lag...cut me some slack, okay?)

Today I spent the day exploring the area around my place and also did some errands. First, I bought an Oyster Card; the Oyster Card is a debit card for travel in London using the Tube and road buses. You put money on it, then travel where you need to, and it deducts the appropriate fares automatically once you swipe it at the check-in terminals in each Tube station or bus you're travelling on.

So, with my Oyster Card in hand, I gave the Tube a go. I must say the Tube was a very clean, efficient, and fast transport. In fact, I already consider myself fairly well-versed in using it. Using the Tube, I went to a Marks and Spencer department store (the State-side equivalent of a Dillard's with the added convenience of items that a Target would sell such as cheap household items). Why was I headed to Marks and Spencer? To purchase an iron. Why to purchase an iron? Because this morning when I was getting ready to iron my shirt, I accidentally fried my iron...yes it died quite horrible end. What happened? Well, I forgot to check to see if it was compatible for the higher voltage electricity the Brits use; it ultimately was not. How did I know it was not compatible? Well, as soon as I plugged it into the outlet's adapter, it started to get really hot, very quickly...much quicker than it every had before. Within a few more seconds, a quite displeasing smoke was billowing from the holes on its metal plate. Don't worry though; thankfully, I kept my cool (even though my iron was not! haha) and took care of it without damaging the room or myself.

After some more various shopping today, I explored Hyde Park, quite an expansive park with green fields plus walking, cycling, and even horse-riding paths in addition to paddle boats on a large lake. I spent some time strolling through Hyde Park, looking here and looking there. I will be back there quite frequently I'd imagine. Below is a picture of me sitting in Hyde Park with my Oyster Card and my new compatible iron.

Back at International Hall, I had a good dinner (each intercollegiate hall has it's own cafeteria, and food is included in the accommodation costs) and met several other students. Tomorrow, I will attend a walking tour of London as a part of the orientation session hosted by the staff of my school, The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. Following that, I will be meeting some of the other Rotary Ambassadorial Scholars at a welcome tea hosted at the Rotary District 1130 Headquarters at York Gate.

Rotary takes third (out of 52) in local philanthropic dragon boat race

2007-09-16T09:22:00.000-04:00

Whew, yesterday was a whirlwind of winning at Winged Deer Park for Rotary. (Try saying that alliteration three times fast!)

Johnson City is building a new stand-alone children's hospital (Niswonger Children's Hospital), and to help raise the final funding to finish the hospital, the hospital's foundation (Mountain States Foundation) arranged for the second annual Dragon Boat Race at Winged Deer Park along Boone Lake. Dragon Boat racing is a fun event in which 20 paddlers, one drummer (pace-setter), and one steerer race large boats. Dragon boat racing has a rich history and today remains a unique contemporary sporting event; I'll defer complete details to these online sources: Wikipedia and Great White North Dragon Boat, who managed the local event we participated in yesterday.

The Rotary Clubs of Johnson City have quite a reputation for this annual philanthropic event which is only in its second year in Johnson City, TN (although we learned this event is already the largest dragon boat race and festival in the entire state of TN surpassing similar events in larger cities such as Chattanooga and Nashville). Last year, the Rotary team (comprised of members from both the Morning and Noon Clubs) placed third overall out of 30-some teams even though Rotary posted the fastest 250 yard time of around 1:13. (This happens because teams compete in two races, then they average those times which qualifies the 12 fastest teams to compete in one of three final championship divisions, Bronze, Silver, and Gold--of which the winner in each heat takes the first place in that championship division. Yeah, it's kind of a different system but oh well.)

Guess what...the results of this year's event were eerily similar to those of last year: Rotary took third place in the Gold Division yet posted the fastest time for the entire event beating our own team's old record (1:13 set in 2006) by a full second at 1:12.

Below: The Rotary team displays our trophy from the 2007
Johnson City Dragon Boat Race.

Rotary race by race recap: For our first race of the day, Rotary posted a healthy time of 1:17. (Last year, Rotary's first race time was three seconds slower at 1:20, so we knew we had some more steam this year.) A few hours later at our second race, Rotary posted a blistering 1:12, a new record! We had an amazing take-off, surging ahead of the three other teams on the lake. We held the lead the entire way down the lake. Now, our average time of these two races (1:14:50) placed us solidly in the Gold Division for the final championship race. Our final Championship race of the day started off well, but our initial surge was ultimately not enough to overcome two of other the four race teams. Three teams, including us, were dragon-neck to dragon-neck, but they pulled slightly ahead of us past the halfway buoy.

All in all, the event was quite fun and exhilarating; in my opinion, dragon boat racing is a unique, energetic, and profitable fundraiser for any non-profit organization particularly children's hospitals. It is estimated that the 2007 Dragon Boat Race brought in well over $100,000...I'd estimate at least $120,000...well ahead of the $81,000 the 2006 race brought in (with only 31 teams).

For pictures of the Rotary team and the 2007 Dragon Boat Race, please visit my Webshot account.

JB

Three cardboard boxes, two suitcases, and one carry-on

2007-09-14T14:05:00.000-04:00

Okay, so this post should really be dated yesterday (September 14th) as I started to type it last night and then failed to post until today.

I have been completing some "administrative tasks" before my trip to London commences. I have paid my tuition via bank transfer. I sent along three boxes of items (some clothing, office and desk supplies, and my computer printer) to my wonderfully kind Host Counselor Alan in London. These items should arrive one day ahead of me on Thursday, September 20...we'll wait and see if FedEx comes through, as they have for me in the past.

Boy, it's a lot harder preparing to pack up than I thought. It's not like leaving for college to go to Wake Forest where I could easily pack EVERYTHING I thought I would need and then travel only three hours. (Plus if I did need anything, I could hop on the interstate and be back home in a wink.) In packing for London, however, I have had to be much more strategic in selecting items that will make my "home" for the next year abroad. So yes three medium size cardboard boxes, two suitcases, and one carry-on compose my life for the next year, but it will all work out in the end.

Now, let's see if my boxes beat me there to London. Here's hoping...

JB

Johnson City Rotary Meeting with DG Byron and Others

2007-09-11T22:57:00.000-04:00

Today, nine days before I depart for London, I attended the Johnson City Rotary Club's noon meeting at the local Johnson City Country Club.

My sponsoring Club, JC-Morning Rotary, always meets in a smaller reception room at the country club, but the larger JC Rotary Club meets in the grand ballroom at the same country club. So although it was a nice, slight change of venue, I still knew familiar faces among the crowd. Joining me at today's meeting was a trio of JC-Morning's fine leadership. My sponsoring club's President (Bo Dudney), President-Elect (Suzanne Donaldson) and Past-President (Todd Fowler) were in attendance with me today.

Our delegation was invited to attend JC Rotary's meeting because Byron Brill, District 7570 Governor, and his lovely wife Kathy were in town on an official visit. (I had previously met Byron and Kathy while up in Salem, Virginia, helping the District Scholarships Committee to interview the scholars for next year. I suppose that they figured since I sweated it in the "hot seat" only a year earlier, I might be able to offer a different perspective in the overall selection process.) Also present today was Assistant District Governor Paul Knapp who was visiting with DG Byron, so it was nice to meet Paul as well.

Below: (L-R) Bo Dudney, Suzanne Donaldson, Byron Brill,

Jonathan Barry, and Paul Knapp.

Today's program was eventful. First, there was an observance of September 11. Then, normal Rotary Club business was conducted in a succinct and effective manner as is done at the JC-Morning Rotary meetings each Thursday. Following this club business, DG Byron informed the Rotarians about District-level business and goals. I happily learned that, out of 34 global Rotary Zones, Zone 33 (which includes our District 7570) ranks fifth in both total and per capita giving. This giving is important as it ultimately allows Rotary International to carry out and finance its leading projects including polio eradication efforts and global Ambassadorial Scholarships.

DG Byron also inspired the Rotarians with his district theme "What can I do for Rotary today?" I like this touch; it makes Rotary personal and inspires curent members, and even non-member guests such as myself, to reach out and keep the Rotary wheel spinning. Each of the 4000-plus members in District 7570, should play a part in the effective functioning of Rotary in our own unique way. Accordingly, as expressed earlier, I seek to inspire more college students to connect with Rotary as an Ambassadorial Scholar. Furthermore, I seek to provide District 7570 Rotarians a direct tangible benefit; simply, I seek to show them where their Rotary dollars are going. I hope they will see that young adults, such as myself, are (1) proud to study under Rotary and (2) are becoming educated and engaged with Rotary, ideal prospects for grooming future members.

All in all, it was a nice meeting, and I reconnected with familiar Rotarians, met some new faces and learned a bit more about my proud sponsoring district.

JB

Starting this Blog: My Goals to Reflect, Inform and Inspire

2007-09-11T22:27:00.001-04:00

I have been meaning to start a blog for quite a while about my times and travels as an Ambassadorial Scholar for Rotary International District 7570 . Well today, in this tech-rich world, I made the short, few clicks to get it started...and poof, here I am writing the first of what should become quite a voluminous compilation over the next year.

As I begin this blog, I have three main objectives. First, I hope to use this blog as a form of personal reflection for my time at home and abroad. Second, I will utilize this blog to keep Rotarians, both those in my home and host districts, informed and up-to-date concerning my pursuits, those personal, professional and academic. Third, I hope that through this blog--through my reflection and informative posts--another college student, another twenty-something somewhere, will be inspired to pursue graduate study as a Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar. Truly, this program--a flagship for Rotary International--combines the best of academic learning and international travel and understanding. Indeed, it is such that this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity should be highlighted to all those young adults who are willing to make good use of it.

Although my official tenure as a Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar is just beginning, I have been welcomed warmly by many Rotarians. I now call many strangers friends, and the common bond that unites us all is Rotary, what I can best describe as a cyclical connection of service, community and friendship. My relationship with Rotary--which has not even taken me to London, my intended destination, yet--has proven remarkably strong, and this strength arises from the connections I have forged with members I would have not met without Rotary. It is for this reason, I see this blog as an outlet for me to reflect, inform and inspire.

I look forward to the journey ahead.

JB