A&E: The Land of the Pharaohs

This is not Egypt. But this is where the adventure started, at the new Hamad International Airport. Now I have been incredibly lucky to have so many visitors here in Doha, but this place gives reason to come back!!! Although the project had significant delays and was wildly over budget, the new Doha airport is incredibly impressive and makes travel that much more appealing.

Amrou and I have been talking about a trip to Egypt essentially since we met 8 years ago. Talking about how it was going to be a MADE reunion, or how I could tag along with his family sometime, and this year the opportunity finally arrived. He finishing his time in Cairo, and me being only a 3 hours flight away. While I have been in Doha Amrou and I have rarely had time to catch up or see each other so it truly was reuniting of the global force that is A&E.

The trip got off to a slow start, with a delayed flight leaving from Doha. I got into Cairo an hour later than planned which set us back a bit. Amrou and I were banking on rides from a few different friends to various beach areas around Egypt for the weekend and were incredibly lucky that his friend Aly was able to hang back and wait for us. Once I landed we took cabs to grab Amrou's stuff and straight to Aly's. We drove for about 4 hours to a sleepy beach town on the North Coast, about 60km from Alexandria. It was one of the most beautiful beaches I have ever seen with Kristal clear waters, soft sand, and we had it to ourselves as the beach season has yet to open.

One of their friends gave us keys to his beach house for the weekend which was AWESOME minus one small detail. When they closed the house the last time they were there, several weeks ago, they turned off one of the refigerators that still had food in it. When we got there we were welcomed by a faint smell of bad seafood that only got stronger as we approached the fridge. When we get there (we being Amrou and Abys) there were screams of horror as one of the worst smells humanly possible wafted out of the fridgerator. The rotted food was crawling in maggots and it took us about 30 minutes to just clear the area. The kitchen had a terrible smell the rest of the weekend and was barely able to be used...After that rough start it was a smooth weekend all around.

On Sunday we headed back to Cairo and straight to the Pyramids at Giza. As one of the main attaractions I had to go while I was there, but I was prepared for the worst. Tough bargaining, people selling you useless replicas, and huge crowds. The day we went was President Sisi's innaguaration day, national holiday, so we were one of the only people there. It was incredible to have one of the world wonders all to ourselves. After the pyramids we went back into the main city and sat in various cafes, visited some of Amrou's favorite spots, and met up with the group for one last night. The city was buzzing with the celebration of Sisi but we found ourselves in some trouble at night coming back home. We had to cross through Tahrir Square around 1am on the day of the inauguration. The scene was something out of a movie. Fireworks. Sirens. Loud noises. Huge crowds, mostly men. We thought we saw someone getting beaten and a mob mentality was beginning to take place. We decided it was time to leave and at that moment a large group starts scurrying towards us. Not knowing what to do, we sprint to one of the side streets off the square and its blocked off. We look back and the group is running towards the same place. We quickly see a fence on the other side of the street that leads to the sidewalk. So we run to the fence, jump it, get to the sidewalk and jog down the street. Now we don't know exactly what happened back at the Square but a few minutes and we could have been caught in it. We were relieved to get back to Amrou's flat and ended the night chatting with his flatmate about the experience.

Our last day we took in some more major sites like the Hussein Mosque, Khan al Khalil Bazaar, the Citadel and Egyptian Museum. Although we didn't have much time this was one of my favorite parts because we got out of the city center areas into more historic neighborhoods. Cairo is a tough and run down city. I was very lucky to have Amrou there as a guide and translator, it would have been very difficult travel otherwise. Especially as someone who isn't huge on cities, I am not sure I will be back in Cairo in the near future. Egypt has so many other places to offer like Alexandria, Luxor, and Sharm el Sheikh. Future trips will likely be to those areas and not to the chaos that is Cairo.

 Overall it was a great trip but I was happy returning back to Doha. Amrou was an amazing guide and it was refreshing to see him in his element having made Cairo his home. He is finishing his time there and job searching after finishing grad school in May. There's a chance Doha is on his list of places to move so I have my fingers crossed!!! Here in Doha I am winding down work before summer travel. The World Cup is calling my name but before I go I have to wrap up planning for August programs and Orientation. A week from today I fly to Rio to meet up with my friend Kevin to spend 2 weeks in Brazil before heading to Peru for two weeks on solo travel. Incredible adventure awaits! Talk soon.

Outward Bound Oman

Well this post is coming quite a bit late but wanted to make sure I gave the update from the latest program for work. From May 12-16 I had the privilege of bringing 22 Education City students to Oman for an Outward Bound program. Outward Bound was founded in the UK in 1941 and is a program that challenges youth towards personal development through outdoor education. There are Outward Bound schools in 33 different countries including Oman. Outward Bound Oman (http://www.outwardboundoman.com/) has been around for 5 years and is the only school in an Arabic speaking country. I have been working with them since September to get a group from Qatar to join in their program.

We traveled to Oman on May 12 as a group and arrived in Muscat in the morning. Once we arrived we went directly to Jebel Akhdar (the Green Mountain) where we would spend the next 4 days. The students we brought were separated into a male group and a female group. This not only honored local culture but provided fewer distractions in an already challenging environment. We would be hiking and camping for 4 days and 3 nights without running water, no showers, no proper toilets, and making all of our meals. For most students this was a trip of first. First time traveling without family, first time cooking, first time cleaning, first time camping, first time hiking. It created a very challenging environment but I was VERY impressed with how they rose to the occasion. Outward Bound Oman and their staff ran an incredibly organized and thoughtful program. My role was just as an observer and it was great to sit back and learn.

Over the course of the 4 days you saw noticeable change within the students. They were more responsible, more proactive, worked together more efficiently, and most importantly learned how to manage their time. We ran on a tight schedule and there was a lot that had to get done each day. We would wake up every morning at 6am, needed to have tents broken down by 6:30am, breakfast finished by 7am, and we were having the morning brief before 8am. Being out in the wilderness during the program was just amazing. I felt very lucky to have this kind of opportunity and was very proud to see the vision for the program become a reality. It did an amazing job highlighting another GCC country and I believe that students had a transformative experience. As we have gotten reviews and feedback about the program, it is one of the most successful we have done this year. It was a great way to end the year for programming and I can't wait to go again next year!

Summer is quickly approaching in Doha and might even already be here. Temperatures are upwards of 115-120 degrees each day and people are just beginning to leave for summer holidays. Next weekend I will be in Egypt visiting Amrou before my big trip to South America that I leave for on June 21. This is going to be the summer of a lifetime and can't wait to share my adventures with you. Talk soon!

 

Return to the Lonestar State and the Frigid North

Ever since moving to Doha, America has called my name more times than I thought it would. Whether it is for conferences, graduations, or in this case weddings. I was lucky enough to be invited to the wedding of Miss Erin Lavey (now Erin Andrews...but not the one you are thinking of) and Mister Kyle Andrews. Not only was I invited but I had my second go-around as a "Bridesman" along with Brennan Biddle and Mister Michael Shea Kelly. While I was in the US I figured it would be a good idea to spend some time at home so I made a little trip of it.

The trip started with visiting my parents on Long Island for Easter. Brandon was able to work from home a few days so we had a long weekend together in Massapequa. It was great having some quality time with them, much less rushed than my previous visits home had been. While I was home I had the chance to catch up with fiends, family, and even my high school guidance counselor (many of whom I had not seen in over a year). Felt great to be back on the old stomping grounds but things really got going once I arrived in Austin.

I got to Austin on a Wednesday morning. I was picked up at the airport by Erin, Kyle, and Brennan. Once in the car we went immediately to the cowboy boot and hat warehouse. I picked out my attire for the rest of the week, a pair of brown cowboy boots and white cowboy hat. It was perfect. After a few hours Kristal arrived from New Zealand (some 33 hours of travel to get there...and with a smile on her face no less) and we could properly begin celebrating. The first big story from the trip was the Air BnB room that Kristal and I stayed in. We have used Air BnB on nearly even trip we have taken and have had great experiences. This time we couldn't find a private apartment or home so we rented a room in a house of two girls, Iris and Hope. They were incredibly kind, had a quaint little house, but the decorations were a bit odd. The entire
house was covered in Dia de lost Muertos dolls, which was fine enough until we got to the bedroom. Over the closet door, written in chalk was REDRUM (shout-out to Jack Nicholson). I even tried to erase it before Kristal arrived so it wouldn't freak her out, and it wouldn't erase. The rest of the week we referred to it as the "Murder" room and actually did stay there. We survived two nights before checking in to our cabin with the rest of the crew for the wedding.


Speaking of the wedding, Erin and Kyle have set the bar incredibly high for any future wedding I attend. Not only was this a 2 day, 2 night affair...they also had a food truck serve on sight, had a full catered BBQ from Salt Lick, had us float the river the day of the rehersal, had corn hole and ladder golf, had cabins for all the guests, and Erin even wore Cowboy boots with her wedding dress!!! It was incredible. Not only was the wedding a huge hit but it was the first time in YEARS that myself, Matt, Brennan, and Shea were all in the same place. Brennan, I get to see all the time. But Shea and Matt?!?! It had been too long. I wish the wedding could have lasted a week, but like all other good things it came to an end. 

 

After Austin, Kristal and I made our way back up to NY to start celebrating her birthday week. Her birthday was May 6th so we figured might as well start the celebrations in NY! We had dinner with Uncle Bill and Aunt Eileen, we made dinner for my parents, we visited vineyards and farm stands, we saw the statue of liberty, we rode a broadway bus through times square, and even trucked through freezing rain and winds all day in NYC!!!! Kristal, being the small town girl that she is, just LOVES New York City and it was so much fun watching her light up even when the weather was miserable. It was a huge contrast from the hot and humid Austin we had been in days before. As our time in NY came to a close it was time for Kristal to head off to Minnesota and me to make my way back to Doha.

 

I am so privileged and thankful for being able to visit home as much as I have and still be part of the lives of friends and family back in the states. It was an amazing trip and definitely made me miss home and the people that are there. My hope is to come home from the Christmas holidays next and do my best to see people I didn't get the chance to see while I was stateside this time. My next adventures on this side of the world are taking a group of students to Oman for an Outward Bound trip next week (http://www.outwardboundoman.com/), followed by a potential visit to Egypt to visit the one and only Amrou Kotb as he finishes his time in Cairo. Thanks for checking in and until next time!!!

Third Time's a Charm: New Zealand

If you had asked me in April of 2013 if I would ever travel to New Zealand, I would have told you that would be a once in a lifetime opportunity and I hope to make it there someday!!! Well evidently someday is now, and once in a lifetime has become three times in 9 months!!! I guess this is the secret benefit of having a long distance relationship in New Zealand. After my time in Seoul for the conference I flew down to New Zealand to celebrate my birthday week in some of the most memorable ways possible!

I landed in Auckland around 4pm in the afternoon of my birthday and from the moment I landed it was non stop action for the whole week...wouldn't have it any other way! There were three main highlights from the trip. A 12 hour race against time road trip, a 35km overnight trek on the Routeburn, and two full day road trips to Hobbiton and Cathedral Cove. After landing in Auckland, Kristal and I celebrated my birthday but needed to head home early because less than 24 hours after I landed we were back on a plane to the South Island for the first highlight of the trip...ROAD TRIP!!!

After our 8am flight from Auckland to Christchurch Kristal and I got in a car to drive to Queenstown. Now road trips have very much become one of our things, and in our first NZ trip we also drove from Christchurch to Queenstown. In the interest of keeping things interesting we decided to opt for the "scenic" route this time, although twice as long, would offer breathtaking views. Originally we thought this would be an 8-10 hour drive, later to find out it would be closer to 12. And not only that, there was a pass on this trip that closed each night at 6pm. If you didn't make it through the pass you had to drive the next morning when it opened at 7:30am. This was not an option for us. So halfway through our trip we entered a full on race against time to make it through Haas Pass before it closed for the day. Luckily we made it to the pass right at 6pm but were then told we needed to drive through it before 7pm before it closed on the other side!!! Remember that scenic route? Not so scenic when the only photos you can snap are from the car. In the end we crossed the end of the pass right in time and made it to Queenstown just over 12 hours after leaving Christchurch. 12 hours in a car sound rough to you? We loved every second of it as what might seem like a punishment was refreshing to sit and just spend time together.

After finally making it to Queenstown, we had a quick sleep before waking up to get on the Routeburn Track. The Routeburn is one of New Zealand's great walks and is a 35km (21 mile) trek across the most breath taking scenery you will find. Most people take 3-4 days to complete the track, but in true Evan and Kristal fashion we did it in 2. This was my first overnight trek and first time hiking with a full pack. The pack I had weighed around 40 pounds (18 kg) and on the first day we hiked 15 of the 21 miles. Needless to say I was SPENT by the end but Kristal could have kept walking without any issue. Keep in mind Kristal's pack was bigger than she is, weighed as much as mine, and 10 hours into our hike she was still ready to go! This girl amazes me. We really lucked out on our hike because our first day was perfect sunshine even though the Routeburn is in a rainforest, receiving rain 245 days a year. It was so refreshing to get outside and experience being alone in the wild. We spent the night at a hut on the trail with other hikers. There was an amazing sense of community among those on the trail and in many ways I wish trail life took place in real life. During day two of the trail we had some rain and a short hike. We strolled out in the afternoon feeling accomplished, tired, and wet!!! We spent one more night on the South Island before heading back to Auckland.

 

Once back in Auckland, Kristal had to work for two days so she rented me a car as a birthday present so I could go off exploring. I lucked out that my friend from Doha, Neassa, has just moved to NZ with her friends Ali and Aine. The four of us did two full day road trips that took us to Hobbiton, where they filmed Lord of the Rings, and Cathedral Cove. I am not the biggest Lord of the Rings fan but Hobbiton was AMAZING!!! It is in pristine condition and you are able to walk through the entire set and even get to visit the Green Dragon at the end of the tour. The films were shot in over 150 locations throughout NZ but it was neat to see the Shire live in person. And having traveled three times this year to NZ it would have been inexcusable to not check it out! And our final spot was in the Cormandel Peninsula on the Day 2 road trip. We went to two different beaches, Hot Water Beach and Cathedral Cove. At Hot Water Beach you got to dig your own hot tub during low tide as thermal pools were just under the sand. You had to choose wisely as some areas were too hot to handle but when you found the right temperature you had your own spa on the beach. After that we went to Cathedral Cove which was one of the most stunning beaches I have ever visited. Yet another example of New Zealand's stunning beauty!!!

As you can imagine I feel incredibly lucky to have had the chance to visit this amazing country. This trip was special in a lot of ways. One, I had the chance to reconnect with a lot of Kristal's friends who I met in June but have only had virtual contact with since. Second, the trip felt incredibly natural. Kristal and I both felt right at home and had a bit of a routine together even in the midst of how crazy of a trip it was. And finally I feel like I have done NZ some justice. There is SO much to do and every square inch is worth exploring. But having this latest visit I feel like I can put NZ on the shelf for a while and focus to some new adventures.

Speaking of new adventures, up next...U S A!!! The one and only Erin Lavey will be tying the knot with Mr. Kyle Andrews on April 26th. I will be in attendance with two other of the world's best Bridesmen, Shea Kelly and Brennan Biddle. On the way I will spend some time in NY of the front and back end of the wedding so I hope to see a lot of people while I am stateside. That is all for now and can't wait to hear from all of you! Thanks for keeping up.

A Bit of Seoul...

As the whirlwind that has been the last few months continues, I found myself in Seoul, Korea during mid-march for the annual Asia Pacific Association of International Education (APAIE). This conference served as my professional development for this year as I expanded my views on the field of international education. While there not only did I learn about that field, but also had an incredible cultural experience. Here's a few rambling thoughts on the experience.

Before attending this conference I was unaware, probably obliviously, about the business of international education. The APAIE conference felt more like a trade fair meets business meeting as global representatives from Universities and agencies from around the world were wheeling and dealing to spread the study experiences of our students. This culture of the conference made me a bit uncomfortable as it seemed that the professionals there were solely concerned with boosting international student numbers, MOUs with more campuses, and their "international" image. There were few conversations about quality, institutional enhancement, and the student experience. After my initial shock of the "business" nature of the conference I was able to find a lot of really interesting professionals and conversations about the experiences of students who study internationally. I had too many take away lessons to bore you here, but if you want some materials or food for thought just say the word!


In addition to the whole conference, I got to experience Seoul! This was my first time in Eastern Asia and once again I would use the adage "it's a different world"! My time in Seoul got off to an auspicious start as my ATM card from Qatar would not allow me to take out cash in Korea and my USA credit card was not accepted by any Korea banks. This left me with 0 cash (if Sarah Marr was with me she surely would have had cash to exchange...) and a week in country. Luckily, my hosts of my Air BnB room were able to charge my credit card and give me cash at a cool transaction fee of 15%...the things you do during desperate travel times. Once money was squared away my exploration began.

Before leaving for Seoul a friend, Katie Hyon, graciously gave me three full pages of things to do in Seoul. This ended up being my go to source of information and I was able to knock off nearly every site she recommend. I walked the streets of the traditional hanok village, I dined with the locals in Gwangjang Market, attempted to hike the fortress wall, experienced historic palaces at Gyeongbokgung, sang Karaoke, ate Korean BBQ, and much more. Anyone visiting Seoul, please ask for recommendations. One of my favorite parts was simply being part of a real and fully functioning city. There was life all around, rich history, deep traditions, a bustling public transportation system, and a language other than English. Speaking of transportation, after growing up learning how to navigate NYC (thank you Mr. Kearney...), navigating Seoul was a BLAST!!! SO many buses, metros, cabs, etc all in a foreign and indecipherable language was quite the challenge. But by the end of the week I had mastered it with the best of em.



As a final story I will leave you with this...as I have traveled I have tried my best to be an adventurous eater. Now this isn't just eating street foods or whatever the local cuisine is, that goes without saying. I mean eating the things you won't get anywhere else. This has included sheep brains in the majilis, fried scorpions in Bangkok, and everyone's favorite story...Ox Balls in Nairobi. In Seoul I ventured into eating a large sausage looking coil filled with a strange form of rice. Tons of locals were eating it, you can see it in the picture below. I had about two pieces of it and just couldn't do any more. The speculation of not knowing what was in it was too much. I come to later find out it is called Soon Dae and is a mixture of rice and animal blood. Not for the faint of heart...but when in Seoul!!!

 

That about covers it for this session. After Seoul I jumped down to New Zealand to see Kristal (my third time there in 9 months...) for a week of adventure, the great outdoors, and Hobbits. Stay tuned!!!

SERVE: Nepal 2014

Service learning. Learning service. Community engagement. Community development. There are more terms that I could add to this list as well, all attempting to capture the essence and focus of development work through service. I could make this a discussion about what qualifies as service, what doesn't, and how we can make it sustainable. But instead of that, I want to talk more about the experience itself and my own personal reflections from this past week in Nepal.

Over Spring Break I had the privilege of bringing 19 University students to a rural village in Nepal called Tikapur. We were accompanied by a local organization called Reach Out to Asia (ROTA) who played an instrumenal part in establishing the community partner. While in Tikapur we had three main projects. Build a wall, teach computer classes, and create a library. This might sound like a short list, but we had our work cut out for us and had to push to the end to finish it all.

A few things really struck me about the trip. The first was the nation of Nepal. Nepal is a country prone to natural disaster, has a history of political instability, and is stricken by extreme poverty. The village we were working in had only dirt roads, the vast majority of homes were mud walls with thatched roofs, and the only vehicles were tractors for farming and construction. Needless to say this was a far cry from the glitz and glamor of Doha. The contrast isn't what struck me though, it was the quality of life and the feel of the place. Tikapur was a place that wasn't striving, wasn't looking for the greener grass on the other side. They were complacent. And not in a bad way. But they accepted what they had and worked through their simple daily routines. Now the negative side of this complacency is that it is actually a learned helplessness. This likely comes from years of neglect, lack of economic development, and lack of access to education. The positive side is that these people were happy. Happy with their lives, trade, family, and community. It was refreshing to see life simplified to this level and understand that happiness is not materials it is a way of life.



 Another striking part of the trip was our students. In my time in Doha I have had several disappointing moments working with students here. Lack of commitment, not taking intiative, challenges developing a culture of involvement, etc. These challenges are part of working in Student Affairs and don't only exist in Doha, but they are challenges none the less. The group that took part in this trip was a shining example of my faith in college students and the reason why I feel so lucky to work in this field. This group was made up of 19 of the best and brightest students I have come across. Going into the trip I wasn't sure how the group would react to difficult conditions, a foreign environment, exposure to various social issues, and a long draining week. Our students respondent with critical reflection, resilient attitudes, support, teamwork, and appreciation for our host community as well as their own. It was a privilege being part of the trip and learning from these students and I hope to have more experiences like this in the future.

Finally the trip continued to spark my interest in global education. Earlier this year I attended the World Innovation Summit for Education (WISE) here in Doha. It opened my eyes to an entire new world of Education! From that point I have been captuivated by the idea of working in global educaiton delvopment in a future life. This plan continued to affirm that. There is so much great work being done in global education development but so much more left to be done. This was a great opportunity to not only contribute in a small way to the educational culture of that community, but also to expose our students to the inequity of education globally with the hope that they contribute in some way in their adult lives. Not sure where this interest will take me in the future, but for now it is one of the many paths I am looking to for future endeavors!

There is SO much more I could say about this trip. When I say it was an emoitional roller coaster, I mean it brought up a lot of questions. Why do we do service trips? Who learns? How do you close the educational gap globally? What is sustainable development? Are we objectifying the local community? What do you tell a crying child as our bus pulls away from the school? How do you communicate with people when there is no common language? And many more. I had many moments of reflection and am still processing through them now. I am so thankful to have had this opportunity and look forward to future experiences as well.

Next on the agenda? South Korea for an international education conference next week followed by a week with Kristal in New Zealand!!! Never did I think I would get to NZ 3 times in one year...the crazy things we do for love! Until then, thanks for keeping in touch and talk soon!