Fundraiser for Filipino NGO & Rotary

In the United States, my interests and extra-curricular involvement included volunteering with non-profit organizations and organizing events. Naturally, I wanted to continue this type of involvement in Holland. Emma, my friend from Holland, and I organized a fundraiser to educate indigent Filipino children. Emma is directly involved with this non-governmental organization (NGO) and after she told me about her work, together we planned to help raise money for the children.



The event was a great success. Our friends and colleagues were very open and generous to the cause, and everyone enjoyed themselves.



Matt, another Rotary scholar, and I also took this oppotunity to introduce everyone to Rotary and their educational programs. It was a perfect occasion to talk about the humanitarian work that Rotary does, as well as how it supports young people through their educational scholarships.

Leiden Rotary Club

Matt, the other Rotary Scholar from St. Paul, and I visited and presented to the Leiden Rotary Club. The Club was very receptive to us and is willing to help us with anything that we may need during our stay in Holland. We will be returning to the club again in January to do another presentation and have lunch with the Rotarian in charge of exchange students. We look forward to more involvement with the club.

Thanksgiving & My Birthday

For twenty-some years, I have always spent Thanksgiving with my family. For the first time in my life, I missed the turkey and after-Thanksgiving shopping. However, I can't complain ... I am having the time of my life.



Not only was it Thanksgiving, but it was also my birthday. This coincidence only happens every so often, so it was easy for my international friends to celebrate both Thanksgiving and my birthday.

Some of us had a nice Thanksgiving/birthday dinner (but it did not include turkey or ham), and then we met other friends out afterwards. Although it wasn't the traditional American Thanksgiving, I had a good time with everyone. I got gifts from all around the world to help remind me where everyone's from!

The Irish Experience: Dublin, Ireland

A couple of friends and I visited Dublin, Ireland, to get the true Irish experience. Barbara, from Slovenia, and Dom, who is Croatian but goes to law school in the States, and I, spent several days exploring the city. Dom and I also had a chance to venture out into the suburbs a bit and see the true Irish countryside.




In Dublin, we enjoyed the traditional sites, including Trinity College Dublin, Christ Church, St. Patrick's Cathedral, the Guinness Brewery, Jameson Distillery, Temple Bar, and more. It's true when people say that Guinness tastes so much better in Ireland than in the States. We were in Dublin right before the big Halloween celebrations, so there were many tourists in the city. I now know where Boston gets its feel. Boston is very similar to Dublin - for obvious reasons.



Besides spending time in the city, after Barbara left, Dom and I explored the countryside. No wonder green is the country's color, because everything was green. Surrounded by the sea, the rolling hills create a splendid view from all angles. We were able to see a port city and an Irish castle. The trip off the continent was very interesting, and I hope to return to explore the rest.