A Successful Simulation - 17 June 2018

Today's simulation at the University of Nicosia was a great venue to refine argument and debate skills and put what we've learned into practice. After almost three weeks of lectures it was nice to engage with what we've learned hands on. 

I really enjoyed working with students from Cyprus and other European countries and learn their perspective on the issues. It allowed for perceptions and misperceptions we both have about our countries and how they conduct themselves diplomatically to be cleared up and see things from a different perspective. 

While we had a limited time that made negotiating specifics difficult, we had fantastic debates over the issues of energy security and development in the Eastern Mediterranean. It was overall a great experience. I've always been fond of simulations and look for different ways to incorporate them into my future lesson plans when I teach. This fall I'll be teaching a sixth grade class on geography in Brookline. The course also examines international institutions and basic diplomacy. After this simulation, I hope to develop and implement a simulation at the sixth grade level for the fall. They are a great way to get students engaged not only with the content learned but with one another. 

A big thank you to the University of Nicosia, Marinos, and the students who worked with us! 

New Pals

New Pals

My favorite thing about trips like this is how quickly you get to know people. Unlike a lot of friendships, which are spaced out over weeks of awkward interactions and half-honest conversations before you really get to know someone and be on a real honest level with them, trips like this break that awkward wall down by confining you to the same 100 ft by 100ft plot of land, closed in class room and even the same bunkbed. You spend so much time together that there isn’t really room for dishonesty or shyness, and everyone quickly gets to know people they never thought they would in ways they never thought they could.

Last year I didn’t know any of these kids names. Last week I couldn’t have told you a single significant detail about most of them. Today I feel like I know more about some of their families and lives than my own and I think that is really beautiful thing. I know that no one reads these and I don’t want to put him on blast but if you are ever bored together you ask Faarooq about his connection to the Kennedys because its the cutest shit I’ve ever heard in my life. I am excited to see how these new friendships develop over the next 3 weeks in this Hellenic Breakfast Club.

June 13th

Being sad in happy places.

One of my biggest problems in life is not being able to get thoughts out of my head. Whether it be through an inability to put my thoughts into words, or a laziness to not want to write them, I tend to keep things trapped inside until they kind of burst out. One thing that I find strange that I want to try to explain somewhere outside of my head is the idea of being sad in happy places. I love Greece. I love the natural beauty, the urban grit, the authenticity, the people and the history. I love the course material and the people we study it with. I love the hospitality of the women at the institute and the Vamvakas family. I love the sites we have seen and the adventures we have had. I love everything about this trip and this country and I still seem to sad all the time, and I don’t think I’m the only one that feels this way. 

I feel a lot of guilt spending so much money to come out here, even if I did borrow it. I feel guilty not being at home to help out my mom with my sister, or being able to see my step father or my brothers. I don’t like not being able to comfort Carina wen she has had a long day after work, or only being able to check up on my friends over the phone. I spend a lot of time looking at the water and reflecting about my life and choices I have made however many days weeks months or years ago and there is a strange weight that that carries with it that I don’t know if I will ever shake. I deleted the last two blog posts that I wrote because I thought they were too sad but I think I’ll post this one. I am having a great time and I am very thankful for this opportunity but I guess there is baggage you take with you no matter how light you travel. 

There is a song I like to listen to when I’m in nature and stuff, it is called Irene by Beach House and if you read this you should listen to it 

and also please don’t bring this up to me if you read it <3 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kJI4__PQ89s

New Adventures

New Adventures

Having moved a lot growing up, I grew accustomed to the idea of everything being temporary. Your house one day would be someone else’s the next day, and vice versa, friends and family would come and go. Halfway through my 8th grade year when we were living in NJ, my mom left us with my dad for the weekend and bought a house in Maine with money she got in the divorce and moved while I was finishing school. In a weird way, this flipped a switch in my brain. My usual self-conscious and anxious self gained a whole new confidence to try things because I knew that even if I messed up, I would be starting my whole life over in a few weeks so it didn’t really matter. 

After I moved, this mentality never really went away, and I am thankful for that. 

The day the boats didn’t come, I was reminded how much I value that side of myself. We had the option of staying in the village for the day and relaxing on the beach like the day before or going on another hike to a new beach. Having chosen the latter turned out to be one of the best decisions I’ve made in a long time, resulting in one of the best days I have had since coming to college. We hike through sand and rough to a nearly deserted beach with one restaurant and a thousand year old church and spent the day eating and swimming in one of the prettiest and secluded places I will ever see or be, and it reminded me how important it is to adapt to new situations and opportunities. 

Unexpected Hospitality - 12 June 2018

One word not often associated with monasteries is hospitality. These religious compounds are often secluded and remote, far from major population centers. Monks are almost always associated with monasteries, and for many monks are perceived as isolated hermits who study, write, and pray in remote corners of the world. However, upon our visit to the Holy and Stavropegic Monastery of the Life-Giving-Spring Chryspogi I discovered something much different. The monastery was no longer occupied by monks, and had not been since the 1970s. Instead, an order of Orthodox nuns maintained the monastery and its grounds. In fact, it wasn't just a singular monastery, but a compound of three. Two of the three were hundreds of years old and had been fully restored by the nuns while the third was built by their order. The focal point of the newest monastery, the church, was built in approximately six months, a testament to their industrious nature. Upon our arrival we were greeted by a group of nuns who welcomed us and took us on a tour of the newest monastery, which was on top of what can best be described as a tall mountain. Part of our tour included refreshments and a snack that was freshly made for us from rose petals. The compound was very impressive and boasted breathtaking views of the landscape below, rolling groves, winding streets, and far off in the distance the city of Chania. We were able to view the items made by the sisters, many of which were intricate and beautiful.

Following our tour of the newest compound, we made our way down the winding path that took us past a number of chapels stowed away in the many caves in the surrounding area. We were lucky enough to visit three of them, each special and impressive in its own way. In total there are 17 of these hidden chapels on the property. We then happened upon the Monastery of St. Kyraiki, which was one of the old monasteries that was restored by the order. We were greeted by an older nun who spoke no English, but invited us in. Within an instant she had brought us a pitcher of water and a box of sweets, continuing the hospitality of her order. This monastery is home to an impressive conference room that sees hundreds of school children each year. They come to learn about nature and after a presentation are unleashed on the compound. One of the nuns told us that three to four groups come each week. Once again, this challenges perceptions of a monastery. Not only is it a welcoming and hospitable place, but the sisters of Chrysopigi see hundreds of visitors each week and work intimately with them to help them connect and reconnect with nature. 

It is safe to say that after our visit, my perceptions of what a monastery can be has drastically changed. 

Look Up

The walk through the gorge was incredible on many fronts. The challenge that we faced to go down the switchbacks on the face of the cliff was intimidating, yet completely doable with careful steps. Having to watch every step, however, kind of took my eyes away from the grander scope of things that was going on around me.

Once I looked up, that’s when the incredible beauty was bestowed upon my eyes. The cliff walls
soared as high as skyscrapers in cities like New York. The walls were covered in shades of browns, reds, yellows, and oranges, which looked as if the colors were painted on with a large brush in vertical streaks. The life around us was green and the trees shot up from the ground and provided us with just enough coverage from the sun to ensure that we didn’t. 

Then, about half way through the hike we walked into an old abandoned village. It was a small place; no more than 15 people could live there comfortably. It was built into the mountain side and barely affected the natural scenery around us. After eating lunch here, we continued to trek down the

mountain until we finally got to the gorgeous turquoise-blue sea that was waiting for our hot and exhausted bodies to dip in. This hike was truly incredible.

The thought to look up should also translate into the everyday life of people. There is so much beauty around us in the United States. There is no civil war and we are typically safe, there is shelter for safety and warmth, people that love you, etc. Also, the landscape around you has a particular beauty to in. For example, in Boston, there are beautiful, red-brown brick roads that pave the way to historical sites and universities in certain parts of the city. Beautiful, groomed parks scattered throughout the city. On the flip side, there are also some concerning things that deserve attention. Think about the concept in a political sense, starting with domestic (in the United States) politics. There are problems like racial and gender inequality, homophobia, the way that immigrants and refugees are typically treated, cases of poverty, equal access to education, some decisions that the government has recently made that will negatively affect us in the long run, and so much more. 

On an international scale, if you look up from where you are to see what surrounds you, you will see a beautiful earth that is important to treat right for future generations. In that world, it is important to realize the issues and take care of them. To name a few, there is climate change, food insecurity in certain regions, various energy issues, water sanitation issues, racism, issues with building sustainable economies and political systems, and war. It is imperative to learn about these issues that are affecting the world. Even though they seemingly aren’t affecting you as an individual, at a certain time, they are still important because of what it does to the sake of humanity in the long run. Moreover, who is to ever say that it won’t affect you or future generations to come?

The world is constantly changing, and it is up to us to decide whether it is for the better or worse and continue moving forward by taking care of certain issues. The only way that we will achieve this is to keep a watchful eye on what is happening around you domestically and in the world. That is why it is important to look up, see, and live in our ever-changing, beautiful world.

June 12th, Nuns O' Plenty

Today we went on a tour of a monastery run solely by a nun convent. Our guide, the wittiest woman I have met by far, told us how the monastery had been abandoned and was given a second chance of life by a group of nuns from northern Greece. The building itself is made with a combination of materials that were left behind and the surrounding land. This entire building was crafted and designed by this woman. This includes the intricate stone carving, mosaic tiling and icons found around the entire estate. Another component our guide touched upon was the community involvement with the cultivation and restoration of plant life in the area. Several schools in the area visit each week to help them in their environmental endeavour. This really makes me smile. Early environmental and sustainability-focused programs are so very crucial in the effort of changing attitudes and behaviours to be more pro-environmental. 

This visit was one of my fondest yet. The nuns I met were very welcoming and willing to let me try speaking Greek. One woman asked me my name and I was able to respond and ask her hers. I definitely geeked out a little bit over my tiny victory.