Visitors at Kinross Road

This week has been extremely quiet at Kinross Road as we said our goodbyes to our Scottish visitors on Monday morning. Last week my parents traveled from Scotland to visit and spend some time getting to know the place I have been calling home for the past 5 months. Only staying for 4 days, their visit was short but definitely sweet. It was really nice to show them what I've been getting up to since I took the plunge and moved to the States in July.

Quincy Market, November 2013

I assumed the role of 'tour guide' for the entire weekend taking my parents all across Boston and showing them the spectacular sights of this city. Having checked the forecast we had anticipated a very chilly weekend, however, we were pleasantly surprised to be walking around without jackets and even having lunch alfresco! In the evenings we were glad to have a comfy hotel room to relax and rest our tired feet.

We had 4 delicious meals in different restaurants around Boston each night - traditional American food at Joe's and Apple Bee's, Italian in the North End and Japanese at Pho Basil. It was a difficult task to pick a restaurant, which my dad had left in my trusted hands, as Boston has an incredibly large variety and number of restaurants dotted all over the city. It was my roommate Murray's birthday on the Thursday and so we all went out on Newbury St. to Joe's American Bar and Grill. I opted for the fish sandwich and, my new love, sweet potato fries (Picture below). It was a great opportunity for my mum and dad to meet the four Scottish interns I have been living with.

We had a fantastic weekend and I am now even more excited for my sister to visit in March next year so that I can play 'tour guide' again! 

Helping the Community through Service Learning

Today, a few of my colleagues and I attended an event which recognised the hard work of students on the American Classroom program who took part in 'service learning' throughout their fall semester. Service learning is a teaching and learning strategy that integrates meaningful community service with instruction and reflection to enrich the learning experience, teach civic responsibility, and strengthen communities. This initiative gives students a chance to develop their skills and experience while simultaneously addressing the concerns of  communities. Students are able to use what they have learned/are learning in their classrooms and apply to real life situations.

Service learning is an excellent way for international students to become familiar with their new communities in which they live and make a difference within that community. These students are able to create a diverse perspective on an issue within the community and then give back to the community by providing their services. This could be in a classroom environment, for example, teaching school children English as a second language.

At the event students spoke proudly about their experiences while on their service learning placements and displayed posters around the room describing their projects and issues they focused on. Their speeches were thoughtful and interesting and I thoroughly enjoyed hearing each student's inspiring story. These types of events are great opportunities to applaud the tremendous efforts and commitments that these Northeastern young professionals display while working for established businesses in the community.