Winter Activities

Greetings Friends!

Hope all of you had a wonderful weekend back in Texas! The “spring tour” of Aberdeen Rotary clubs has been going really well, and I had the pleasure of speaking at two Rotary clubs last Wednesday. Most of my Rotary visits last semester were to rural/suburban clubs, and it’s been a neat experience to begin visiting clubs within the city. It’s fascinating to meet and chat with Scottish Rotarians from so many different backgrounds. Amazing times!

Here’s a fun picture of me presenting Colin Reid with a Kilgore Rotary banner at the Rotary Club of Bon Accord:

Thought you also might enjoy some pictures from a recent Saturday trip to Edinburgh, Scotland. The Edinburgh Art Museum had an excellent expressionism exhibit (I absolutely adore the works of Monet, Renoir, Van Gogh, Cézanne, and Degas):

Standing on a bridge with Edinburgh in the background:

Exploring a monument overlooking the city:

The inscription of a monument constructed in honour of Admiral Lord Nelson:

Tomorrow, my colleagues and I will receive our final grades from last semester’s studies. Am looking forward to some pleasant results, so hopefully there won’t be any unexpected surprises! :) The spring semester is now ¼ of the way complete, so am looking forward to seeing you all in less than four months!

Take care and have a wonderful week -

Nick

The New Semester Begins

Greetings Friends!

It’s been quite a while since the last post, and I look forward posting more frequently now that school has calmed down a bit. Final exams took place throughout January, and although they were quite difficult I look forward to finding out the results. Rotary visits throughout January served as a pleasant break from studying, and it was great to make presentations at the Westhill and Banchory-Ternan Rotary Clubs.

Over the next three weeks, I’ll speak at the Aberdeen Rotary Club, the Bon Accord Rotary Club, the Rotary Club of Aberdeen – St. Fittick, and the Rotary Club of Aberdeen – St. Machar. It should be quite a fun tour, and two of the visits will actually take place during the same day! I accidentally left my camera at home during both January visits, so I’ll be sure to take lots of pictures at these upcoming Rotary events.

Activities with the Aberdeen Rotaract Club have also been going well this semester, and we’re hosting a “Pub Quiz” this Tuesday to raise money for the Foundation for Orphaned Children in Nairobi, Kenya. Should be fun! The club has attracted several new members this semester, so we’re looking forward to accomplishing some exciting goals in 2008. Back in December, I gave a presentation over the ambassadorial scholarship that interested several Rotaract members. Building upon this interest, Stephen Chorley from District 1010 has graciously agreed to visit us in March and will speak about opportunities for young people through the Rotary Foundation.

Looking back, it’s surprising to realize that almost five months have passed since I hopped onto a plane and headed for Scotland. This really is the experience of a lifetime, and can't wait to share even more of it with you all when I return to East Texas in June!

Talk with you soon, and God Bless!

- Nick

Back in Scotland after a Wonderful Holiday in Bulgaria

Greetings Friends -

Happy New Years!! Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and a happy holiday season!

After a 2 ½ week vacation in Bulgaria, it’s great to be back “home” in Scotland. The trip was truly an eye opening and once-in-a-lifetime experience. My roommate, Nick, and his family were such amazing hosts, and I’m sincerely grateful to them for their hospitality. In a relatively short time span, we explored the nation’s capital (Sofia), skied at Vitosha Mountain, spent Christmas with Nick’s mom in Haskovo, visited ancient ruins in the Eastern Rhodope Mountains, off-roaded around countryside in a 4x4, spent New Years at a villa in the mountains between Bulgaria and Greece, and returned to Sofia to fly back to Scotland.

The Republic of Bulgaria is located in Eastern Europe, so its culture still reflects quite a bit of Soviet-era influence. Today, Bulgaria functions as a parliamentary democracy under a unitary constitutional republic. The country has joined the European Union and NATO. It has a population of approximately 7.7 million, with Sofia as its capital and largest city. The country is currently undergoing tremendous economic growth and is experiencing one of the largest real-estate booms in the world. If any of you are interested, more information on Bulgaria is available at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bulgaria.

It was quite a shocking experience to spend nearly three weeks in a country where few people speak English. The Bulgarian language is based on the Cyrillic alphabet, which meant that I couldn’t read or pronounce most things that I saw in writing. Adjusting to this different alphabet served as a particularly challenging element of this trip. Yet, by the end of the trip I discovered that I was able to read and understand the occasional road signs. If any of you are interested, more information on the Cyrillic alphabet is available at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyrillic_alphabet.

I managed to pick up several everyday words in Bulgarian, but I largely depended on Nick and his English-speaking friends to translate for me throughout the vacation. It was quite a fascinating challenge to constantly discover new ways to communicate with people. The way of life in Bulgaria varies significantly from most Western cultures, and it was fascinating to encounter cultural differences that I could never have previously imagined.

During the visit I also managed to reach the Haskovo Rotary Club, which is located in District 2482. The Bulgarian Rotarians were quite welcoming, and it was great to experience two of their Rotary functions. In addition to attending a meeting and exchanging banners, it was a pleasure to speak briefly about my purpose as an ambassadorial scholar and about my experiences in Bulgaria. Of course, my roommate (Nick) translated for me.

Overall, the visit was quite a rewarding experience. To share the experience with all of you back home, pictures from the holiday in Bulgaria are posted in separate entries below. Hope you enjoy!!

Wishing you all the best in 2008 -

Nick

Pictures from Bulgaria (Part 1): Arrival and Sofia

Me posing in front of an old Christian Orthodox church in Sofia:

The former communist party building in downtown Sofia:

The Current Bulgarian House of Parliament:

Interesting Liberation Statue in downtown Sofia:

Pictures from Bulgaria (Part 2): Skiing at Vitosha Mountain

Tony (Nick’s cousin) and me at the top of Vitosha Mountain:

View overlooking the valley:

View going down the slopes:

On the way down the slopes:

Pictures from Bulgaria (Part 3): Haskovo

Standing in front of the Largest Statue of the Virgin Mary in the World:

http://haskovo-online.com/content/view/10/8/lang,en/

Dinner with Nick and his mom, Daniela – such wonderful hosts:

The crew out for a night on the town:

Older area of town:

Pictures from Bulgaria (Part 4): Perperikon

Sign at the base of the ancient ruins:

View of valley below from the path leading to the ruins:

Sitting on the outer wall of the ruined city:

Overlooking the valley from the outer wall: