Rotary GB&I Link Weekend 2018

I arrived in the UK more than one week ago and admittedly haven't had the time to keep up with this blog. Over the course of the next few days I will try to update you on what I have been up to so far, however, this post will be dedicated to the Rotary in Great Britain and Ireland Link Weekend 2018, which I attended in Coventry on September 22nd.

I hadn't been in the UK for even a week before it was time to pack my bags again (not a difficult task since I hadn't even unpacked yet!) and head to the Midlands for the Rotary Scholars' Link Weekend. Organized by Rotarians from the region, the Link Weekend was an opportunity for all Global Grant Scholars and Peace Fellows studying in the UK and Ireland to meet each other and learn what to expect for the year ahead.

Tomoya, Saori, and myself at the Nuneaton market

From Colchester, it was about a 4-hour journey by train to Coventry, so the organizers were kind enough to connect me with a Rotarian who generously offered to host me and three other scholars for the weekend. I quickly became acquainted with domestic travel in the UK, as my journey included two trains (one which was so crowded that it reminded me of the NYC Subway at rush hour!), in addition to a transfer via the London Underground. But nevertheless, I arrived in the town of Nuneaton, about 20 minutes north of Coventry, and was met at the station by David (my host) and Tomoya (a Global Grant Scholar from Japan). David brought us to his lovely home to drop our bags and get settled in before heading off to the first of what would be a weekend full of authentic British experiences-- dinner at a carvery!

A carvery is a type of restaurant which serves hand sliced, roasted meets alongside a buffet of vegetables and salads. Think unlimited Thanksgiving dinner! While the carvery wasn't too foreign from what I have experienced at buffets in the United States, for Tomoya, it seemed to be unlike any dining experience he had ever had in Japan. We had a great time getting to know each other while stuffing ourselves full of roast beef, ham, Yorkshire pudding, potatoes cooked every way you could imagine, and of course plenty of gravy. Later that evening we picked up Saori, one of the other scholars staying with David, who also happened to be from Japan, before ending the evening with a cup of tea in David's home.

Dinner at the Carvery!

The next morning, David treated us all to a home-cooked Full English Breakfast (eggs, sausage, bacon, tomato, and coffee or tea) and a brief tour of the Nuneaton town market, after which we drove down to Coventry for the main event of the Link Weekend. The event was held at the Baginton Royal British Legion Hall, a national charity that provides support to veterans and their families. We were among the first to arrive at the venue as the majority of the Scholars attending the event were studying in London and were making the trip to Coventry that morning. We were greeted warmly by Paul and Lorna, the two main organizers of the event from Rotary District 1060, and treated to tea and a plethora of freshly baked sweets.

Home-cooked Full English Breakfast

In total there were around 45 Scholars in attendance. Most were from the United States, although there were roughly 8 or 9 from Japan, and one each from South Africa, Canada, and Ireland. It was a very friendly and inspiring group of people who each brought their own interests and expertise related to international service. Over the course of the day I was able to connect with many of them and exchange stories of the work we had done in the past, where and what we will be studying this year, and our career aspirations. It was fascinating to see the range of work we were all engaged in, all brought together by Rotary International and its goal of creating lasting change in the world.

Aside from the networking which naturally took place throughout the day, we heard presentations from Rotarians on topics such as public speaking and how to present to Rotary clubs, British culture, and cultural differences. We also played a British party game known as Beetle. The rules of the game are too complicated to explain at length (click the link if you are interested), but it was a great way to get ourselves moving around and chatting with each other...also to see who could draw the strangest looking beetle.

We were treated to two meals throughout: a take-away lunch of fish and chips and an afternoon meal of sandwiches and cream tea. Both were delicious and uniquely British meals. For those not familiar with cream tea, it is an afternoon tea paired with scones, jam and clotted cream. Since I first visited the UK back in 2016, I have been searching the grocery stores in the US for clotted cream, usually to no avail, and am now finally able to purchase and consume this delicious substance at will. With a consistency somewhere between whipped cream and butter, clotted cream is truly the best thing you could put on a scone, and there is much debate about which is the proper way to do so. Those from the county of Devon will say that you first apply a layer of cream on the scone, followed by the jam, while Cornwall residents will tell you that the order is jam first and then cream. The 'correct' way is obvious in my opinion.

Thank you for hosting us David!

On the whole, it was a terrific day and a great introduction to my year as a Global Grant scholar. Paul and Lorna clearly put a lot of effort into making it a fun, engaging, and useful day for all in attendance. A huge thank you to them and Rotary GB&I for welcoming us all to the country and for giving us the opportunity to meet other Scholars and Rotarians. Also a massive thank you to David, who was a very generous and accommodating host all weekend.