Thank you!

As I sit in my hotel in New York thinking back over the past month of GSE, I am overwhelmed by the amazing adventure!  I would like to thank everyone who made this possible, an extra-ordinary feat.  I would like to thank everyone I met along the way, you made it what it was, and the laughs and good times we had together were fantastic.  I have an amazing repertoire of vocational information to incorporate into my work practices and policies.  I would like to thank all my host families - your hospitality and generosity has been amazing! I have developed friendships that will, hopefully, sustain over distance and time.  I have memories that I will cherish.  I would like to thank Holroyd Rotary Club for sponsoring me, and for giving me this amazing opportunity!!!!

I would like to thank my GSE team - an amazing bunch of people!  David, Teresa and Robyn - we did so much - our 5000-odd kilometres in the juggernaut, Rotary visits, and vocational visits, snorts, laughs and good times!  What a month!  What a team!  "It's all good!" :-)

Sleep Well - Thursday Night

Its hard to go to sleep for a number of reasons.

• My GSE adventure is drawing to a close (sadness and thinking of the many memories)
• I am heading home in a couple of days  (excitement)
• Concern for the excess luggage I am going to have to pay for (....door mat)
• Not wanting to miss the alarm for our early morning drive to the airport
• Backing up 7200 photos onto my Ipod.

Its hard to put into words what the last 4 weeks have been like.  From our blogs, photos, sms, postcards and emails I am sure that you all have a sense of the fun, variety of vocational visits, people we have met, places we have seen, the food we have eaten (Cant wait to get back to fitness classes), the support and friendship shown by everyone we have met.

For me the key parts of my GSE adventure have been:

• The support I have received from home
• The warmth and friendship of every Rotary club, every Rotarian & their partners
• The way in which we were hosted by every club, every host family and the various vocational visits that were arranged for us.
• Being able to reflect upon my skills, knowledge and abilities in my current role and in any role or position that I will have in the future.  It has given me my confidence back in knowing that I am a very capable individual and will succeed now and into the future.
• Sharing this experience with David (who is now one of the girls), Amanda and Robyn - I was lucky to share this with you all.  Thank you for your support, laughter, red bull and snorts.

A big thank you to the Penrith Valley Rotary Club for sponsoring me and in particular Linda Rios and Graeme Wilson for encouraging me to apply.  I look forward to attending a meeting to share with you my exchange.

Love to all

Teresa

Thank You

As we are about to conclude the "best ever GSE" (a throwback from the Sydney Olympics) I would like to express formally our heartfelt felt thanks to many people.
Firstly, as the team leader, I want to thank my team. Without you guys this would not have been successful; without you being who you are would not have been so much fun. I have truly had a ball. I think I have learnt to be a girl and can now appreciate shopping and finger nails as they are meant to be. I sincerely thank each of you for the friendship and professionalism you have shown to the whole exchange program and to the ideals of Rotary.
Thank you to the Rotary Foundation, and to the many clubs' contributions who have made this exchange possible.
Thank you to my own club, Lower Blue Mountains, who sponsored me and saw the value in my representing them and the district on this journey.
Thank you, too, to the sponsor clubs of Teresa (Penrith Valley), Amanda (Holroyd), and Robyn (Prospect) who recognised these young professionals and encouraged them to apply for GSE.
Thank you to Paul back home and the GSE committee for supporting us throughout the selection and training process. I think we done good!
To our host District, and DG Chris, and Linda and the host committee, we really appreciate the effort you have gone to to put together a great program.
To our host clubs and everyone who participated in the program over the past four weeks, how can we ever show our appreciation? Everybody has gone out of their way in some way or another, either driving for a day, hosting a pot luck dinner, inviting a team leader for a beer, or in numerous other ways, thanks a lot. We shall never forget you.
To our vocational day hosts, we also appreciate the effort you have gone to to show us your workplaces. Whether it was a school, airport, call centre, golf course, library or courthouse we had a fantastic experience and can take back a little of New Hampshire and Vermont experiences.
Everybody who took time to particaipate in some way or another has helped to make this Group Study Exchange so memorable. Thanks.
And finally to our partners and families back home - we have missed you greatly and look forward to meeting again soon and sharing our experiences. We thank you for your love and support.

Tonight we had a great farwell dinner, hosted by the Nashua Rotary Club and we now move on.
We shall keep up the blog as independent travellers for a few more weeks and then soon we will meet again in Sydney to conclude the experiences.
THANK YOU EVERYBODY

Chester and Bellows Falls

On our second last day our Deerfield Valley friends hosted us for breakfast before heading north to Chester. We toured the T-shirt screen printing coy and got just the most fabulous gift; we visited News Co (?) a company devoted to transcribing ALL of the congress and senate papers (similar to Hansard in Aust) onto a digital format, making it suitable for researchers and archivists; the Chester Museum was opened especially for us and we got to ring the town bell! and the cemetery with a mix of revolutionary and Civil War graves - oldest gravestone was 1770.
The Angels and I then were able to ask our hosts to amend the agenda so we could fulfill the most anticipated part of the trip - a visit to Springfield, VT, the Home of the Simpsons. Whilst there is a Springfield in every state of the US, Springfield, Vermont won a nationwide competition to establish itself as THE Springfield. Indeed The Simpsons Movie held its world premier there last year. The childish-like GSE team entertained themselves with photos with the family and the giant hand holding the giant donut -- mmmm donuts !! We even have a copy of the winning entry to bring home and show everybody.
We were hosted last night by Pat who owns the Motel in the Meadow at Chester and we had a combined meeting with Bellows Falls RC performing our last presentation. David was given a new gnome as well.
On Thursday we had a breakfast meeting with Bellows Falls, a visit to a nuclear power plant (see how easily I said that?) and a tour of a unique high school established without fixed walled classrooms. each classroom is divided by moveable partitions just like a modern office and classes are held within earshot of one another. The advantage is the students are encouraged to be less noisy and the whole school can expand by creating a new room whenever it may choose.
We lunched at a great little organic cafe on the canal in Bellows Falls and then moved back into New Hampshire for the trip over to Nashua.
Our hosts for our last night are Nashua Rotary Club. They will be having a cocktail party reception for us and DG Chris. It should be a fun, relaxed night.
We wrap up the GSE tomorrow at Manchester airport.
David

Crusin' in Chester

We began the morning at Derry Village Rotary Meeting before transferring to Chester where we visited Vermont-T's (and were each given a spectacular baseball hat! Thank you!), an indexing company that is digitising government papers, and the High School (including David's first school cafeteria lunch).  

From there we went to Springfield -- the home of 'The Simpsons'!  We clambered over the arm holding the donut, and sat next to Homer on the couch!  Thanks to Pat for organising it, and Springfield Chamber of Commerce!

We could not go to Springfield and not drop in on Pete from the USA GSE team!

While, dinner with Bellows Falls and Deerfield Rotary was fantastic, it was a poignant time as it was a last presentation... How the time has flown!  32 days, 12 presentations... 

We followed this with drinks at PK's...

This morning we attended a combined Bellows Falls and Chester Rotary meeting, before visiting a nuclear power plant, high school with no walls, and had a spectacular lunch at Bellows Falls.  From there we headed back to New Hampshire for our final night of GSE.

Deerfield Valley

As David and Teresa have indicated, we have had a busy yet relaxing few days!  For our vocational visit yesterday, Robyn and I visited Twin Valley High School -- the local HS with enrolment of approx 250 students (years 9-12).  We visited their TV/film studio, which has been set up and run by the local Police Chief.  The have hooked into the local cable TV, and we were fortunate enough to see a sample of the amazing work being done!  A full school assembly followed.  While we were introduced, the focus of the assembly was on UNICEF and their work with children.  After this, Robyn spoke with the softball team, played lacross, and team-taught an 'Urban Legends' lesson.  I had an enjoyable time investigating the Library, before we met for a quick tour of the School.  

Robyn and I then met Teresa at Mount Snow for lunch, swimming, and day spa before having dinner with our host families and a bonfire.

May 6th - Vocational visit and Bonfire by the lake

Creating the Smoares



mmmmmmm Yummy








Proud Aussies at the District Conference







Robyn and Teresa - Party Girls









Watch out - Cool Runnings Aussie Style









The closest we have got to seeing a real moose









David and Robyn concentrating at our bonfire tonight












Today was Vocational day for us all.

I was lucky enough to get a bit of a sleep in before heading up to Mt Snow to be shown operations by Kelly (sorry I cant recall your last name at this time of night) who has worked her way up to General Manager of the ski resort. It was an impressive operations with many changes and challenges handled so well by Kelly and her staff.


I would like to return in a couple of years to see the upcoming changes to the resort and the infrastructures. After a bit to eat and some shopping for some Mt Snow shirts (again thanks to Kelly), the 3 angels (David was off trying to play golf) and Kelly spent some quality time in the heated pool and spas. When Kelly headed back to real work, Amanda had a facial while Robyn and I had a much needed massage after a hard days work. A big thank you to Kelly for such a relaxing day.



I am staying with the MacDougalls and they hosted a dinner at their house for the 4 of us and our host families. After an enjoyable dinner, most of us headed to the lake for a bonfire, some singing, an explanation of cricket to our hosts and some Smoares - toasted marshmallows, them put onto a gram cracker that had Herseys chocolate on it. It was Delicious and oh so bad :]




Its now 11:50pm and its time to finish packing as we attend the West Dover meeting in the morning at 8:00am then off again in the Juggernaut - hoping to go via Springfield - the home of the Simpson's and the best Pharmacy in the USA.




I have added a few photos of the last few days.



Love to all back home.







Teresa

Two Days in Wilmington, VT

After our trip down from Lake Placid on Sunday we spent the evening with host families and generally flaked pretty early.
Monday kicked off with Breakfast at Dot's - a Wilmington institution. Dot's is a diner downtown and we were treated to traditional diner fare; coffee, pancakes and maple syrup, eggs over easy etc and Oreo milkshakes.
We had a short walking history tour of the town and then a drive to Dover for sightseeing and lunch in a Chinese restaurant (fairly similar to back home).
A highlight was then to be taken to the lake where kayaks and canoes were provided for a magnificent hourlong paddle on beautiful clear, calm, sunny waters.
Home to rest (?) and prepare for dinner.
The Deerfield Valley Rotary Club put on a great dinner at The Matterhorn for us and other special guests of the club. We gave an entertaining, informal presentation which was again warmly received with lots of questions.
Today, Tuesday, was our final vocational day (details from the angels) and tonight we are having a pot luck dinner at Arlene's and even a bonfire at the lake.
Club breakfast meeting tomorrow before transferring to Chester Rotary club for our last hosts.

Into the Finals

We are into the finals!
No, not the sporting or singing finals (although David Cook is still in American Idol - who's rooting for him?), but the finals week.
It will be our final presentation on Wednesday night
Our final host families
The final walk in the woods for fluffy
The final trip in the Juggernaught
Maybe the final time for Robyn to be carded (on GSE anyway)
Our final vocational day was today (golf course inspection is definitely my new vocation)
Our final Rotary meeting (they have been a hoot)
Our final pack before leaving NH/VT
Maybe the final shopping trip?
Or the final bit of trivia from the old guy in the front of the bus?
It might be our final three-meals-a-day before becoming poor tourists again.
And, of course, our final goodbyes. All the team will regret the goodbye part as we have made such solid friendships along the way.
David

Lake Placid District Conference

What an amazing weekend!  The Conference was superb with interesting plenary sessions, and great entertainment!  It was fantastic to catch up with people we have met and been hosted by during our travels.  For me, this has been an amazing month, and the Conference (which David has gone through in detail) has been a highlight!   

District Conference

The District Conference began on Friday with opening session at 2.30pm. We gave our presentation during the first plenary session which allowed us to relax for the rest of the weekend and enjoy the company of friends we have made and meet many more.
Steve gave his report to conference during the next session and Friday was devoted to Foundation content. I was able to present DG Chris with the gift from DG Jennifer which survived three weeks of packing and unpacking.
It has already been mentioned we won the Parrot Head night on Friday (must have been for the best performance by an Australian group). Again, the reception we received and warm welcomes have been outstanding.
Saturday's plenary session was Rotary business in the morning, promotion of next year's conference (will the Foundation cover me for a return visit?), District Service Projects and the finals of the District Four Way Speech Contest. The key note speaker was an Olympian, Jeff Blatnick. He was terrific.
Afternoon activities made up the rest of the day with options of hiking, an Olympic experience tour of Lake Placid (including the story and video of the 1980 USA vs USSR hockey match that stopped a nation and a trip to the top of the ski jump), or gold on the resort golf course. The results aren't announced until this morning but I can say the Teresa was a star, hitting a Big Bertha some 225 yards to set up a score for the scramble (ambrose).
As I type this I think Saturday night might still be happening for some folk. My impression is that if you are a Rotarian from Vermont you have inherited the Green Mountain Boys liking for a good time out. Plenty of fellowship abounded in the various after-parties.
The evening dinner was a grand affair with DG Chris chairing a presentation of a Service above Self award and a parade of flags from all the 22 inbound Exchange Students. The Australian GSE team carried in the Aussie flag to a rousing reception.
Today we wrap up Conference and we are off to West Dover, VT for our next hosts.
Still plenty to see and do in this glorious part of the world.
Cheers
David
Sunday - The conference reconvened with an interfaith service and then a large breakfast, during which my Rotary Idol shirt (the Kangaroo Rotary shirt) was auctioned for $250 for the Foundation. Thank you to the generous buyer. The conference concluded with the Youth Exchange program and final remarks. We had to say our goodbyes then to many friends we have made along the way. We will surely see you again sometime.
Our new hosts began our final week by providing lunch in Lake Placid and bringing us to the beautiful mountains east of Bennington, VT to West Dover.

Rotarian Idols

After an outstanding presentation at D7870 Conference yesterday, we dressed in our Jimmy Buffet finest (yellow Rotary shirts with kangaroo's) and headed to the par-tee!  There were 2 highlights of the evening - catching up with friends and meeting new people, and our magnificent production of 'Rotary' at the Rotary Idol competition!!!  Our rehearsals in the juggernaut on the way to Lake Placid reminded us that none of us can carry a tune.... The competition was strong.  And the winners of the musical component was ---                                                                                  

--- the Australian GSE team!

Welcome to Lake Placid

It's Saturday and we arrived in Lake Placid, NY for the District Conference this morning. After registration, setting up our House of Friendship display and general relaxation we are ready for the start of conference. DG Chris has done a great job, the venue is fabulous and we are looking forward to a great weekend.
Cheers
The Team

Roving in Rutland

The past week has passed in another blur of activity, with us again relocating today!  We ended last week with a moving ANZAC commemoration on 25th April conducted in detail by Robyn (our resident historian).  

David has already outlined our visit to Rutland.  While David and Teresa were playing golf in the snow, Robyn and I spent the day with my host Dad (Bill) on vocational visits.  We also experienced it snowing in Rutland, before heading north to Middlebury where we visited wood turning shop, a forge gallery, local artisans, and Middlebury College.  The College has a very impressive Library! Yesterday, Robyn's host Dad (Rick) took us to Bennington where we visited many historical sites, as well as a scenic moose-spotting expedition!  Although we did not spot any moose, we saw beautiful countryside.  

Today we have arrived in beautiful Lake Placid for District 7870 Conference.

Our Week in Rutland

The rule of the road is - Whomever has access to write the Blog, does so.
Tonight I am sitting at home all packed up ready to move on to Lake Placid tomorrow and my host, Cale Shipman, and I have been downtown to a sportsbar for a pasta meal. The Red Sox are losing in the 3rd inning.
This week we were met by Rutland rotarians at Woodstock and drove further into Vermont on Sunday via a great little brewery (Long Trail Brewery) and the Mt Killington ski fields. I asked our host today how many ski resorts are within an hours drive and the answer was "many".
We met our host families at the pick up place of the week - another McDonald's car park and each had a restful night with hosts in their homes.
Monday was a highlight with a breakfast meeting at Wallingford RC. They meet in the Little Red Schoolhouse, a Paul Harris Memorial Building now owned by the District. After a short tour to orientate Rutland we attended Rutland City RC and gave what we now refer to as a mini presentation - we gave an intro followed by a brief bio. Cale and Jeff took us moose hunting without success and we were delivered back to our hosts by around 5pm.
Tuesday, on the other hand, was our first day of poor weather on the entire trip. There was light rain all day and the temperature didn't get above 45deg F. We had made a few changes the day before so this day was altered to provide a great visit to Stafford Vocational Technical Center in the morning, lunch by the catering students and then a road trip north to Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream Factory - would you believe we struck Free Cone Day? and then further on to the Von Trapp Family Lodge. You may like to check your own resources for further information on these places.
Wednesday was Vocational Day and Linda had done her homework well as I was allocated to suss out the golf course with Nancy Anderson. Teresa came with me and Robyn and Amanda went to Middlebury College. I can say the day on the course was most educational! Thanks Nancy and thanks Bill for the clubs, even though the three wood doesn't work properly.
We finished the day with a cook-out at Socinskis and ate moose burgers prepared by Teresa from last year's hunt.
Our final full day in Rutland started with a presentation and Rotary meeting at Rutland South and then an historical and entertaining tour by Rick. Rick took us to Manchester for Danford Pewter and then to Bennington for a visit to the museum and the Bennington Monument. The monument is a 200ft tower built to commemorate the Battle of Bennington which the Patriots fought against the British in 1777. On the way home we searched and searched for the elusive moose but, again, no luck.
We look forward now to a trip to Lake Placid and District 7870 Conference.
David and the Team

Many Happy Returns

The quickest Blog yet!
Stop Press!!
Boston is Back - returned unharmed this week. Thank you anonymous person or persons unknown.
Goin was just restin' in my jacket. I thought I'd lost my little mate but no, when I packed just now for Lake Placid, there he was, happy as larry.
Thank you to all those people who were concerned and a big relief for me not having to expalin his loss to Geoff Hawken from Lower Blue Mountains Club.

Chief Gnome

A few photos of what we've been up to...

Received cryptic messages at the Baseball...

We became tv stars when interviewed on local cable tv...

Did the Rotary thing...

Tried some of the local produce...

Caught up with old friends...

The only moose we've seen so far!

We sampled some moose....

& of course Red Bull is essential to keep us going because we've been having so much fun!

Well that's about all for now, hope all is well back home & with our new friends in USA,

Robyn :)

Taking stock

While Robyn and I have shared many vocational days, I have had the opportunity to focus on librarianship -- including visiting the New Hampshire State Library, local (or town) libraries, and school libraries.

We ended last week with our day of relaxation in the beautiful village of Woodstock in Vermont. After crossing the border from New Hampshire, we were stopped in our tracks by the sighting of a moose! Not 1 moose, but 3!!! Of the wooden kind... So, of course, in our quest to find moose, we had to stop and have our photo taken with them.

Woodstock is wonderful! Quaint shops, lovely locals... Robyn and I wandered the street checking out the local merchandise, marvelling at the covered bridge, and chatting. We were fortunate to catch up with Pete, Kate, her husband and some friends for dinner, before relaxing at the Ardmore Inn. As check out wasn't til 1pm Sunday, I slept in, had a tasty breakfast prepared by our wonderful hosts Cary and Charlotte, and again went for a walk around town.

Vocational Days...

Hi everyone,

I thought I'd better back track a little and fill you in on my vocational days. We've all been having heaps of fun with snow mobiling, kayaking, shopping and all of our other adventures but i've also been learning alot while i've been here. So here's what else I’ve been up to…

Back in Bow- about 2 weeks ago… (time really has flown!) I had a fantastic day at Bow High School. I saw some collaborative team teaching, saw all their different resources and even ate in the Cafeteria! The staff there were absolutely lovely, especially Brenda Sherwood who co-ordinated my visit. We soon became fast friends and had a great day. The biggest difference I’ve seen is with the structure of the school system itself, as every school is community based and funded from local property taxes each with their own school board. It was also great to speak with students and find out what their impressions of Australia were.

While in Laconia, I had the opportunity to visit Laconia High School which has its own Technical Centre where they have amazing courses such as Architecture, Engineering and even a full working mechanic workshop that the public can use. Its fantastic practical experience for students. We had a great lunch prepared by the Hospitality Dept in their very own working café on site.

Amanda and I also had the opportunity to visit Interlakes Elementary School in Laconia. We spoke for about 45 minutes to a 3rd Grade class that my ‘host sister’ Brielle was in. They were all so cute and seemed to enjoy our talk and their little koala gifts. They asked very enthusiastic questions, although one student did ask whether we had the weekend in Australia! We were also asked whether Christmas was in December since its summer in Australia then! It was very cute that the whole class of 40 wrote us a thank you note each, complete with drawings of Australian animals.

I’ve been to 2 private schools as well-St Pauls in Bow and Pinkerton Academy in Derry which have unbelievable resources. Pinkerton has 3000 students, its own sound recording studio, auditorium and fitness centre just to name a few of the facilities on its massive campus!

It’s been amazing to check out the local Colleges too. My first host family the Bliss’s took me up to Dartmouth College about an hour & half away from Bow. The Campus was absolutely stunning with such beautiful buildings. I even got my very own College sweatshirt J

I’ve also been to Plymouth State and viewed their sporting facilities as well as their campus. The great thing that I have witnessed about US schools and colleges is their amazing sense of community and school spirit, especially involving sport. I’ve seen some remarkable facilities while I’ve been touring different sites, including some very cool artificial football fields that can become makeshift ski-training surfaces in the winter months.


We've been fortunate to have seen an Ice Hockey Game and a Baseball Game (I got a baseball from a New Zealand player who was playing for the Fishercats in Manchester!) They've both been a lot of fun to watch and experience in person. I',m now also very interested in learning how to play Lacrosse too having had more exposure to it.

As well as schools and colleges, I’ve also had the opportunity to visit many Law Courts (local, family & NH Supreme), Libraries, State Government Houses and Fitness centres so I’ve had a pretty well-rounded experience so far. And of course i absolutely loved all of the rich history from our trips to Boston and Portsmouth-its amazing to be visiting buildings from over a hundred years before Australia was even colonised!

With still 2 more host clubs to go I’m sure I’ve got many more things to learn to take back with me. Thank you to all those involved in organising such great Vocational Days and to all those who gave up their time to spend with us, we really appreciate it :)

Photos from the Gnome Gnapper

Boston was here....



Was Boston eaten by this dog?



The view from the boot that Boston is in.



The torture plans for Boston????



The Gnome Gnapper is very foxy....


Hi everyone

I am being pressured by the Gnome Gnapper to post these pictures. The Gnome Gnapper has some information that is being used to blackmail me.

With regret and apologies to David that I have been forced to post these photos



Teresa

Ardmore Inn, Woodstock Vermont

This blog posting has been sponsored by The Ardmore Inn at Woodstock Vermont.

For that relaxing weekend or mid week break, why not head up to Sunny, Snowy, Muddy (depending on the time of year) Woodstock and stay at the elegant and friendly Ardmore Inn.

Carey and Charlotte will make your stay a pleasurable experience with freshly baked cookies, to die for Pineapple, carrot and raisin (you can take them out if you don't like them) and eggs cooked as you like.

Thank you both for providing us with a wonderful and restful time. We are now relaxed and ready to continue on our GSE journey.

So once more don't forget to travel on up or down to Woodstock and stay at the Ardmore Inn.

Teresa

Verdant Vermont

Yesterday we arrived in green Vermont. Immediately one can see the difference in landscape as it gives way to more rural farming land. It is said (probably by those New Hampshire-ites) that there are more cows in Vermont than people. We haven't seen that yet but if we meet a cow it is surely going to be one of the friendliest based on the Rotarians we have met so far. After spending a leisurely day cruising to get here, stopping for a few sights and a shopping experience at the Country Store complex on the way, we arrived at the Ardmore Inn around 1.30pm. This gave us time to browse the main street and see the covered bridges before readying for a meet and greet at President Fred's home. The Woodstock Rotarians welcomed us to their town and club with a cocktail party on the deck. New beers were tried, some Californian wine, and some great finger food. (Note to self: try the chicken strips with maple syrup brushed over.)
As we had a free night to ourselves, courtesy of the District program, the Angels had arranged for Pete and Kate to meet us in Lebanon. They, and a few friends and partners, met us at a Mexican restaurant and we had a meal and much reminiscing. Thank's Pete for your kind generosity.
Today, Sunday, David rented a bike and took it out along Hwy 12 until I reached a section of the Appalachan Trail. My dinner party conversation for the next few years will brag that I have walked the trail - well, 100 metres of it at least!
Today is more usual Spring weather - some rain and somewhat cooler, 12 degC at 10am.
We have more casual free time until our hosts from Rutland come to collect us around 1pm so we will explore more of beautiful Woodstock before we pack the juggernaught for our onward journey.
Many thanks to all who are caring for us and showing interest in our Group Study Exchange.
Love to families and friends at home.
David
PS Gnome Update since Teresa's message. Still no sign of Bahston but I can report I now have seven gnomes to bring home and Goin is having a ball.

Saturday 26 April - the week that has been

Garden Gnomes from New York Hostel

Teresa and David with Lobster friend in Maine.

Kangamangas in Manchester

David accepting a club banner in Woodstock.

Max eating the Customs Puppy Doll.

Hi there sports fans

Wow what another busy week we have had on our GSE adventures.  Our days are full of meeting people, learning, eating, eating, eating, shopping, Rotary Meetings, Vocational visits and driving in the Juggernaut van that by the time I get home, it takes all of my energy to climb into bed to get some sleep and to get some of my energy back for the next day.

A big thank you to David, for continuing the blog during this extra busy week for us.

Again I will do a synopsis of the week that has been :

• All of our Rotary Club meetings went well, with many questions being asked and people interested in our stories and in Australia.
• Watch out Nicole Kidman - the GSE team will be on TV soon.  Derry village Television and a cable TV show have interviewed us.  We have a copy of the Derry village show and will be getting a copy of the Cable TV show.
• On my vocational visit to Manchester airport, I met with 2 officers of the equivalent department to Customs.  It was interesting that the majority of the issues we encounter on both sides of the world are very similar.  They were however surprised to hear that we confiscate so many electric fly swatters in Australia every week.
• A big thank you to everyone who has made this week another special, busy and enjoyable week.  There have been so many people involved from driving the bus, feeding us, arranging tours and vocational visits, linking it with businesses so we could have a tour, having a chat with us at meetings, asking heaps of good questions and a big congrats to everyone who has tried Vegemite this week.  
• Working at IMEC with the volunteers to package and distribute medical supplies throughout the world was a humbling experience.  Seeing the effort that the volunteers put in to repacking, cleaning and sorting a wide range of equipment was amazing but to see the photos and to hear the stories of what a difference this equipment then makes to many peoples lives in other parts of the world was incredible.  I was luck to have spent an afternoon with the volunteers who make a difference to so many people.  Thank you for letting us share this time with you.
• Just a correction about the games at the Pot luck dinner, David won Pool, Teresa won darts and table tennis :]
• Another day in Boston with some of the members of the Raymond Rotary club - it was a bit of a tight fit in the van but we got there and back save and sound (thanks Steve).  I managed to get my Mortons steak knives and as I had travelled so far to get them, they gave me a free lunch.  I pottered around Quincy Markets for a couple of hours buying important and needed items such as a maple syrup cookbook and a door mat!  I was lucky enough to meet up with Jo-Ann, a Canadian friend who was in Boston for a conference.
• Today just outside of Woodstock, I was able to have a go at some glass blowing - I made a flower, a Xmas decoration and a paper weight - I pickup my masterpieces tomorrow.

Gnome Update

David received a text message from ???? telling him to consider if Boston may have been taken by Vermont.  Who has Boston, this is still unclear.

All of Cookies Angles hope that Boston finds his way back to David soon, so that David can smile again.

Hope everyone is fine at home and in Fiji.

Bye for now

Teresa

Gnome Gnap Update

It is Saturday morning and still no Gnome. I did, however, receive another message from the Gnome Gnapper. I found waiting for me this morning a printed T shirt with the message "We have your Gnome" overlaid on a screen print of two gnomes looking very innocent. I know they would not get up to something as dastardly as this and somebody has put them up to it. Just who is the question!
I hope I get Boston back before we head to Vermont today.
Thank you to all the Raymond Rotarians who have excelled in hosting and looking after us.
Regards always (if I get Bahston back again!)
David

Team Gnome

I want to tell you about my best ever gift so far... (that is not to say all my gifts have not been fantastic, especially my gnomes!)
Raymond Area Rotary Club, courtesy of Steve Puderbaugh, had a great meeting on Wednesday and after our presentation I was given a great new addition for the Gnome Convention. Check him out at http://www.chowdaheadz.com/boston-red-sox-world-series-gnome.html.
I've called him Boston of course and he was to be my constant companion while travelling around New Hampshire.
Alas, evil things abound! During the fun and festivities at Steve's on Wednesday night that Amanda told you about, and whilst I was busy in the games room, he was GNOME GNAPPED.
I received a ransom note the following morning to say "we have your Gnome - wait for the next message!"
I spent a day quite distraught. I could help but think about poor Boston, held hostage, and how will I ever get him back. I even thought DG Chris was the instigator as he is the rare NY Yankees fan among the see of Red Sox supporters around here.
Well the day went by without a trace. Of course I didn't suspect my fellow team members! (remember there is no "I" in team - maybe there is an "I-jack"?)
During the Fisher Cats baseball game in Manchester last night - thanks to Michael Swinford, Bedford Rotary and our past weeks hosts for a great night, they put on the big screen a welcome top any visitors. Well, you wouldn't believe what I saw!
There up on the big screen was a message - "Welcome to the GSE team from Sydney Australia - We have your Gnome".
How cruel.
I waited for hime to turn up and I thought I'd go to the officials to claim him but Teresa assures me they don't have him, it was just a message from the Gnome Gnappers.
I'll have to spend another day pining for him to come back safely.

David

Everybody loves Raymond!

Since Monday we have been in beautiful Raymond! Straight from our transfer, we were at Manchester Rotary Club where we did our presentation. This was followed by meetings with the Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce, a walking tour of town, and a visit to Amokseag Falls! After being in drought affected areas for so long, it's amazing to see the volume of water rushing past the weir. We also visited the 'fish ladder' at Amokseag. Fascinating....however, it was not being filled until the following day... Fish use this 'ladder' to move upstream of the weir.

On Tuesday we did our presentation again, this time to Derry Village Rotary! A tour of Pinkerton Academy, Derry Publich Library and Parklands Medical Centre quickly filled up our morning. Lunch was at 'Clam Haven' - a roadside cafe. After meeting with Derry Town Administration and the Fire Chief, we became TV stars for the local cable TV!!!

Raymond Rotary were our hosts on Wednesday. Beginning with a presentation at their breakfast meeting, we then headed off on a hike up to Pawtuckaway Fire Tower. It was beautiful, with several snake sightings (apparently they are of the harmless variety...). Meeting up with the USA GSE Team Leader Steve, we headed off IMEC (International Medical Equipment Collaborative) that assembles surplus/used medical equipment for distribution to Third World countries. After sampling Dots cooking, Teresa worked with the ladies in the linen area and the rest of us assembled a pallet of equipment for shipping. Kelly, one of our hosts for the day, then took us to her yoga/pilates class. Lets just say that David had issues with his exercise ball! Steve hosted a 'pot luck' dinner at his home for the GSE team and host families. The games room brought out the competitive side of some - David won the pool competition, Teresa won at darts!

Today we are on vocational visits. Teresa is back at Manchester Airport, I am at Bedford Public Library, and David and Robyn are touring Rotary projects (schools are on vacation this week). Later today, we will again be TV stars, before participating in some retail therapy. Tonight we are going to the Fishercats baseball game in Manchester! And tomorrow we are in Boston.

Moving Day

They say the third day of the Masters is Moving day. That is when those in contention make their move to the top. In effect moving day for us was Monday when we made our third move to the bottom. That is we had to leave our friends in the Lakes District and move to Raymond, just outside of Manchester in the south of the state.
We left Laconia at around 9.15am with farewells to our hosts and piled into the juggernaught which is our team "bus" for the trip south. After the usual stop at the first convenience store for the daily intake of candy and vitality drinks we ended up in Raymond for our appointment with the Chamber of Commerce. We were welcomed by the CEO and discussed Manchester business issues while having a cuppa. Thank you for the delightful gift we each received.
Lunch at Manchester Rotary Club was the next stop and we made another very successful presentation, well received by all those who were there. So far our presentations have been great and timing and questions spot on. Teresa is a winner as every time she comes up with either a Vegemite prize, lucky chair or some other fun thing which nicely rounds of the event.
We then strolled to the Millyard (a revitalised complex grown out of disused woollen and cotton mills along the river), and had afternoon tea at the power plant on the river. There is some serious snow melt happening along the river now and this section of it downstream from the lakes is a raging torrent. Very impressive.
There are fish ladders in place at the weir to assist the migration of Atlantic Salmon and other species to their breeding grounds but we would have had to be there tomorrow to see it filled with water and the end of this month to sight fish! (A bit like last week's Moose)
We drove out to Raymond where we met our new hosts (moving day) at a Macca's car park and arranged the transfer of luggage etc.
I was grateful to meet up with Steve again and meet Deb. We had a lovely dinner, Steve helped with the posting of the photos, and I turned in at about 11pm A busy day planned for Tuesday, we'll let you know how it turns out.
Cheers
David

My time in Laconia

Where do I begin to tell all the stories of my adventures in Laconia? I don't have an hour to type so I will provide a synopsis of the many activities I have undertaken.

• Snowmobiling with Pete (it was soooo cool - a big thank you to Pete for taking us all for a ride)

• This is the only photo we have managed to get onto the Blog - keep on looking we will get more added.

• Yelling, cheering, eating fried dough covered in Cinnamon and icing sugar, cheering and watching fights, booing the referee (just like we do at the AFL), catching a prize from the Blimp and receiving a Puck from the Manchester Monarchs t the Ice Hockey play off game (Thanks to Lou for organising it)


• Swimming in an iced covered Lake Winnipesaukee


• Walking on the same iced covered Lake with the team
  
• My day Trip with Pat and Lou to Boston - riding on the Duck Tours, obtaining a unique souvenir (Pat and Lou know what I am talking about)
  Eating large green apples covered in caramel, chocolate and peanuts


• Presentation at the Canoe restaurant to over 50 Rotary members


• Eating the signature dish of macaroni, cheese and Lobster at Canoe


• Tour of the JJill distribution centre and call centre


• Outlet shopping


• Running around Lake Opeechee (Lou said it was about a mile) but it turned out to be 6mile (I turned right when I should have turned left) - the size of my blister is amazing


• Realising during my vocational visits that I have a good knowledge and wide range of HR, staffing, resource management and leadership skills. I was able to share some of my knowledge with team leaders at the Fairpoint Telecommunications company. At all of my vocational visits I have been able to learn a wide range of ideas and strategies that I will be able to use upon my return to Customs.

Who would have thought that all of this was possible and in a short amount of time?

A big big thank you to Lou and Pat Guerin for opening sharing their house and their time with me.

Onward to Raymond.....

Teresa

Our awesome day at the Lake

Yesterday we had the best day! We went to a beautiful Lake House at Alton, overlooking a picturesque ice-covered lake. Firstly, the team-as lead by our fearless leader David, walked on the ice. I had my doubts at the start but parts of the lake were actually still solid. Next, Teresa took a quick dip-in the 3 degree water! She gets full credit for actually going through with it and there's some great pictures too.

We had a great lunch on the deck of hamburgers and hotdogs. It was such a warm, sunny day-much like Australia except for all of the ice! I'm told we had a high of 75F, which is about 23C considering that we've all been layering up in the previous week!

After lunch, David, Teresa & I took turns in the Kayak, bursting our way through the "punky" ice. It was so beautiful and serene. The best was yet to come and my host 'dad' Peter took us all for a snow mobile ride up Gunstock Mountain. It was the best fun and i know that Teresa thoroughly enjoying being able to cross that one of her list! We all had the biggest grins when we came back down :) To top off our day, Teresa, Amanda and I were taken to an Ice Hockey game by Lou and Pat to the Manchester Monarchs v Bruins game in Manchester (about an hour away). It was a great atmosphere-heaps of fights and cheering, especially when the Monarchs were robbed of 2 goals and Teresa made up chants to get a new referee. She also scored an prize dropped from the Merchandise blimp. The 3 of us also received a puck from the team just for visiting from Australia. A quick stop-off at the pub to play some games-air hockey and the stampy-dance game thingy (dance-dance revolution i think) and then our night came to an end. So it was certainly an action-packed day which we all thoroughly enjoyed. Thanks very much to the Laconia Rotary Club for their generosity and hospitality.

Today, we had our first taste of Boston (well Amanda's 2nd) saw part of the Freedom Trail and the markets. Tomorrow we change clubs yet again-this time to Raymond. Hope all is well in the Land of Oz and to our new friends in USA who are now following our blog. Bye for now
Robyn

P.S. I'm taking offence to my score on the photos-i've only taken 600!! David has some catching up to do, as combined i think the girls are up to about 2100 :)

And of course Shopping...

It is hard to put a finger on how much shopping determines to happiness scale of the GSE team members. Not a day goes by that we don't seem to grab a chance at a local mall for supermarkets (favourite places for Amanda, Teresa and David); Starbucks (the Angels); a diner (rarely but great); chocolate or candy store (Robyn); souvenirs (all) or clothing (guess who!!).

On a scale of One to Ten have a look at this progress score of activities:-
Amanda , Robyn, Teresa, David
Shopping 5 , 5 , 4, 3
Photos Taken 9 , 7.5 (EDITED) , 9.5, 2.5
Stirring 2 , 1.5, 7.5, 0
Eating No scores kept for fear of reprisals
Gnomeocity 1.5, 1.5 , 3, 7.5
Alcohol 2 , 3.5, 0, 3.55
Swimming 0 , 0, 10 , 0
Biking 0, 0, 0, 10
Running 0, 0, 10, 0
Snowball fights 5 , 5, 2.5, 2.5
Goin' Walkabout 0 , 2, 10, 0
Souvenirs 6, 5, 8, 4

No Correspondence to entered into

The Leader who walks on water (wait till the photos)

Friday night in Laconia (18 April)

Good evening everyone

Its 11:39pm on Friday 18 April and I am sitting at Lou and Pat Guevins house in Laconia, New Hampshire. Pat just cooked a wonderful meal. Starter of Salad that took 6 people to make (its a story), then a 5kilo roast beef, with green beans and almonds, roast spuds, mushroom gravy and the biggest Yorkshire puddings you have every seen in your life. They were bigger than a huge green apple or orange. Tasted great and I will cook (well try to) when I get home.

For desert, lemon meringue pie, chocolate, caramel and walnut cheesecake and key lime pie.

The night was filled with many stories, lots of laughter - a great time was had by all.

Today was great weather 20 degrees (70 in US) and I have even got a bit of sun.

I will update more on the last couple of days, just wanted to let you know of a great Friday night I have had and to send my love to all the lucky visitors in Fiji. Hope you are having a great time and spending some relaxing time in hammocks :]

Before dinner I thought I better go for a run as I have been eating so much great food. Well a bit of confusion resulted in me running 6 mile (10kms) instead of 1 mile (1.7km). the blisters on my right food are amazing. I could feel it growing as I ran - teach me not to bring my runners!

Bye for now.

Teresa

Friday 18th

While I am able to post this blog tonight I will catch up on what has happened to me to date.
Today, Friday, was another vocational day.
I began, however, with another early start as I learned there was a Rotary meeting of Gilford club at 7am. Robyn also came along with her host, Cassandra, and we gave another very brief impromptu talk about ourselves and the GSE program.
Again we split into separate groups with Teresa and David going to the hospital and Amanda and Robyn off to school. They gave a talk to a Year 3 Elementary School class. We joined for lunch at a TAFE catering school and went in different directions for the afternoon again. Teresa and I went to a conservation farm and sanctuary where we tried hard to find moose and deer but did at least see a sugar house. It was all locked up but you should have been here last week!! We did hear a woodpecker nearby though and that was pretty exciting and we found a sled leaning against the wall which was crying out " try me, try me", so we did.
It was a free night with hosts again. As Abe was busy and Lynn tied up with her variety show, I was invited to hang out with Amanda and her hosts. We had a great night at home with Garry and Marcia. Went shopping for mussells and fish, had a few drinks and finished with a night of cross-cultural fun and laughter.
Tomorrow is a day at the lake with host families and drivers.
It's all good (says Amanda).
David

This week in Laconia - Thursday

For me, Thursday was my vocational day where I was to spend some time with the local club looking at various projects while the team was off on their vocational visits. Garry Dionne was my driver for the day and he began with Rotary Park in downtown Laconia, then the mill where the club meets and a special tour. This was followed by the highlight so far - the Gilford covered bridge. When we get photos up you will see the magnificent job the Gilford Rotarians have done in recreating a traditional covered bridge in the town. The public launch ramp, details about RibFest and the Nascar concessions all were discussed before we went on the Laconia club's luncheon meeting at noon. I met Amanda there and we were able to talk about the GSE program and describe our individual background.
After lunch I was taken to Meredith on the lake and heard about their projects. This is a club 80 years old and they are involve in :-
Ice Fishing competition selling $160,000 worth of tickets with $90,000 in prizes
Building a boardwalk along the lake foreshore
Development of the park
Establishing a new community sign and billboard
Creating a BBQ and gazebos with lighting in the park
Building new dugouts for the new baseball park

I met their YEP student from Japan as she was coming to the tennis courts and learned next year they are to host two students.

At 6pm I met the team at the Canoe Restaurant for a sumptuous, combined dinner where ten (?) clubs were represented and we gave another well-received presentation.

David

This week in Laconia - Wednesday

Well you should have been here last week - the snow was over the roof, the moose were in my back yard, deer were in the front lawn, maple syrup was flowing down the drains almost and the Australians were due to hit town.
What a difference a week makes. The ice is still on the lake and "ice out" is just about ready to occur; the snow is about gone and the elusive moose are now not to be seen. With all this, however, we are having the absolute most fabulous time with fantastic Rotary friends and magnificent New England scenery and typical American towns and culture.
Our time in Laconia started with the transfer from Bow in the team bus, leaving from the usual Hampton Inn drop of pick up place at around 9pm. We travelled north to Laconia and that club took over from Peter from Henniker. Our first two hours were scheduled to spend in the outlet mall and the angels made good use of every minute. Meanwhile the guys went across to a typical American diner and had a milkshake Fonzie would have been proud of, even down to the diner stools and booths and 50's themed interior.
Met for lunch at Applebees and then to J Jills for a tour. J Jills is a huge (no, massive) womens clothing retailer and distribution mailorder house. It despatches 50,000 cartons every week, all hand filled and sent around the system on conveyors until the final point. Their telephone call centre, taking inbound orders was something to see.
Next on that day was a visit to Meadowbrook Stadium for a backstage tour. This is a private concert and promotion centre for live artists and performers. Interesting seeing it in the closed-up winter stage but emerging from its coccoon to start the new season in June.
We met our hosts for dinner at patricks Pub and wrapped up the day around 8pm.
Cheers
David

Bow Rotary - Home Stay, Meetings & Vocational Visit

Hi everyone from Sunny Bow (however this is still a bit of snow left on the ground and ice on the lakes)

10th April 08

We arrived at Manchester Airport on Thurs 10th April and had a greeting party waiting for us at the airport, along with a van that had been rented for our month stay.

Our first visit was to St Pauls School - a private school that had amazing facilities including an indoor gym and swimming pool and 3 indoor tennis courts through to a fully stocked library and a reading room with a view. The Turkey river flowing through the school grounds was where ice hockey in the USA was first played. Thank you to Reverend Kelley Clarke for our tour.

Off to The Hampton Inn (which was to become the GSE pickup and drop off point for our stay in Bow) to meet our Host Families.

11th April 08

Friday 11 April we had the pleasure of having John "hold your thumb on it" Lyfore (a retired principal and District Governor 1989-90) as our driver and tour guide. We had a lovely drive up to Portsmouth with a dip in the Atlantic Ocean for all us crazy Aussies (it was very cold so only our toes got wet!). Lunch was at the Weathervane in the next state of Maine. I associate Maine with Lobsters so this is what I had for lunch.

Off to a number of factory outlets and the great Kittery Trading Post (where there is a large Stuffed Moose).

Friday night we had a pot luck dinner at Chris Parkinson's (Current DG) house.

Sat 12 April 08

David has already made an entry about our lovely day with Bob (my host Dad). The weather was perfect - a great choice made by Bob to take us up into the mountains.

Lots of fun was had in car parks, snow, on covered bridges and at Mount Washington Hotel. It leaves the Hydro Majestic in the Blue Mountains for dead. Amazing views and a very regal hotel.

A big thank you to Bob for driving 235 miles (410kms) while the 3 angels slept on the way back to Bow:]

Sun 13 April 08

We all had a day with our host families.

I had a lovely sleep in till 8:30am then off for a 7km (4 mile) run with Rosemary and Bob. Only downside was the 2 inch (6cm) long blister on my right sole of my foot and a smaller one on my left foot. Off to the chemist we went, when we noticed a crazy person on a bike not knowing which way to go. Surprise Surprise it was David :]

After a lovely breakfast of homemade blueberry pancakes with Maple Syrup, the 3 of us headed off for lunch at the Portsmouth Brewing Company.

Back to Bow as we had a pot luck dinner at the New London Club. This is Kate Dunlops club (member of the USA GSE team that was recently hosted in our district in Sydney). It was good to catch up with her again.

We gave an impromntu talk where a number of tricky questions was fielded from the audience.

The president of the New London club and I share a skill not shared by many people. Being able to burp on demand. Kindred spirits!

Monday 14 April 08

Again with our driver John Lyfore, we set off for the day. We didn't have to go far at all. Into Downtown Concord for a visit with Karen (current Bow Rotary President) to the State House (Legislature building). We were lucky enough to meet the speaker of the house but even though Karen tried many times, we did not get to meet Governor Lynch (maybe next time).

I learnt that the Americans call their voting papers 'Australian Ballot' as they introduced the process by which ballot papers were supplied at the time of voting with the candidates names already printed on rather than voters bringing their own into vote.

We had lunch at Salloway and Hollis a large law firm in Concord then off to the Supreme Court where we were able to meet with Justice Duggan.

We tried to visit the Christine McAuclife Planetarium but it was closed so off we went for a bit of shopping down the main street.

After a small rest, we were off travelling again to a Joint Rotary Meeting between 2 clubs (I haven't got the names with me right now so I am asking for help from one of the other team). There was over 110 members present at the meeting which started with a Pot Luck dinner. The best so far -over 5 different types of brownies. I found the best way to meet people was to take a spoon around and share desserts along the way. Made for a good icebreaker:]

The club meeting was held in the hall connected to St Theresas Church.

The members were very enthusiastic and interested in a wide range of things from property taxes (council rates) to medicare to food. Thank you for the lovely Moose beanie bear that you gave to us all and for the lovely New Hampshire book for us to share.

Tuesday 15 April 08

Today was our first vocational visit. Jon Hansen was my driver and arranger of my visits - so a big thank you first up to him.

I was lucky enough to see the hardened facility in Concord. It is a facility that is used to monitor all the state roads, weather, incidents and provide a picture for numerous departments in the case of any incidents. There is also a secure facility for use by the Governor - lets hope they don't get to use it. There was a 30foot by 15 foot TV screen where there were a number of different smaller pictures detailing flood warnings, roads and weather. Imagine watching the Adelaide Crows on that :]

I then went to Manchester Airport to meet with the Director of the airport and the TSA chief, to learn all about their airport. What was impressive was the cooperation between the wide range of agencies in ensuring that the airport is secure, that passengers and cargo move efficiently through and that aviation security is maintained.

A big thank you to everyone who gave up their time today.

A bit of time for shopping in the afternoon then onto Mexican with Bob and Rosemary for dinner. While my time here in Bow has been short, I have had a fantastic time and have met many lovely people.

A big thank you to the Bow Rotary Club for hosting us and I look forward to catching up again at Lake Placid.

Well I think I have written enough for tonight- I need to go pack as we are changing host families and rotary clubs tomorrow morning.

Teresa

Check out www.bowrotary.org for photos of our day trip with Bob

Saturday Day Trip

Last Saturday we had a free day on the program designated for a day trip. Not knowing quite where to go and having been given a choice we decided as a team to leave it to our hosts to decide for us. The weather on Friday was shaping up to be pretty ordinary and we were to meet at the pick up place on Saturday and make a decision there.
Bob Couch was our driver for the day and he advised us to go north into the White Mountains as the weather was improving and he had access to aviation weather forecasting which told him the clowds were high over the mountains further north.
It proved to be a perfect decision.
At 9.15am we headed up I93 through Concord, Plymouth and Lincoln and arrived at a very snowy car park at Flume Gorge. Unfortunately the path into the gorge was inaccessible due to the amount of snow cover but that didn't stop a bunch of crazy Australians frolicking in the snow. Car Park snow is better than no snow!
back in the "bus" we headed to The Basin where more snow fights ensued on our way to have a look at The Basin - a granite gorge worn into a whirlpool by eons of snow melted rushing river. Photo opportunities galore and some have been posted on the Bow Rotary Club's website.
On through Franconia Notch where the Old Man of the Mountain used to hang out. He is the symbol of New Hampshire, a rock formation in the shape of an old mans' profile. A few years ago he suddenly collapsed into a pile of rubble. (It was a bit like the London Bridge at the Twelve Apostles crashing into the sea.)
We carried on around through White Mountai National Forest to Bretton Woods. Here we sighted the beautiful Mt Washington, the highest peak in New Hampshire and we lunched at Mt Washington Hotel, once described as a liner on land, and the hotel where the International Monetary Fund was formed.
Continuing after lunch we travelled through the National Forest and stopped at North Conway for our first Ben and Jerry's and more shopping.
The Kancamangus Highway took us back to the starting point of the park and we sped down the I93 to arrive home tired and happy at around 5.30pm and 230 miles later.
It was a fantastic day out, and thank you Bob.

Second Presentation

Today, Sunday we had a free day with our hosts to do whatever they or we wanted to do. I was able to borrow a push bike and exercise some of the previous days' lunches and dinners out of the system by going for 2 hour ramble along local roads into Concord. Whilst I had gloves (temp around 10 deg C) i didn't have a beanie and my ears started to freeze. I stopped off to see what I could get at Rite Aid drug store and (Carolyn will love this) they told me they stock those anymore, only during winter. This is from a sales person who could still see a frozen pond and banks of snow from the front door of the shop. It did warm up though and I had a great ride.
Today was a day we stayed with our hosts and we did various activites. My selection was to go to a ballgame. Chris took me to Manchester where the Fishercats played Connecticut. It is still the early part of the season and the weather is not conducive to large crowds but I had a great time eating hotdogs and pretzels and beer and trying to position myself to be where a foul ball might find its way over the fence - close but no cigar!!

We then met up at New London Rotary Club for a potluck dinner and an introduction of the team. New London club was not given an opportunity to host this year and wanted to do something for the inbound team from Australia. In fact they got together and utilised the free night available in our calendar to put on a special evening.

It was great food (bring a plate), great reception and we were asked to introduce ourselves and give a small impromptu talk. We had some brochures and map of Australia with us and each of us went through a few minutes of our personal background and vocations. It was a wonderful experience to be so well received and field lots of questions.

New London is the host club of Kate Dunlop from the D7870 team and we met Kate tonight as she arrived home from Australia last Friday.

More from the team about the weekend in the mountains soon.

Cheers to all

David

4 day recap & our warm welcome

I thought that I had better check in & let you all know that I am still alive and well :) I've just been having so much fun that I've been finding it hard to get a chance to update the blog (plus the girls are just so efficient & keep beating me to it!) So I thought without repeating the others too much, that I'd write about my impressions so far...

After our killer flight of 22 hours, it felt like when we got to New York that we just hit the ground running, trying to experience as much culture, touristy sites and of course culinary delights as we could. My highlights I guess would have been that I got to see 2 musicals-the very funny and outstanding 'Young Frankenstein' & the very girlie 'Legally Blonde'. The Statue of Liberty was much more impressive in person than from a distance + Ellis Island, the "Island of Hope" to thousands of Immigrants was really moving and had a fantastic museum. The shopping wasn't too bad either :) I must admit that I fell in love with Times Square which was absolutely amazing and NYC has definitely earned its reputation as the city that never sleeps.

After our whirlwind adventures in NYC, it was finally time to embark on our 1st official day of our GSE Program. I can't believe that it's only our 4th day in the States...we've had such an amazing time so far and met so many lovely people in our short time here. The Bow Rotary Club (pronounced 'Bo') gave us such a warm welcome and our host families couldn't be nicer. They are amongst some of the most friendly and generous people that I have ever met and I know that our whole team thanks them for taking such good care of us.

New Hampshire is absolutely beautiful and I can't believe that they still have snow! It's taking a while to climatise ourselves, and its great to know that on average the temperature is around 1-15 degrees C (or about 34 to 60 F! I think I'm finally getting the hang of conversions...)

It was pretty cool that I got to see an actual Shaker Village on Thursday and even saw two bushy-tailed deer in the forest :) We're still on the lookout for some moose though...

It was great to get our 1st presentation out of the way today at the Bow Rotary Club. They put on a great breakfast and we were very warmly received. Full credit must go to Teresa for enduring through her speech despite her sore throat.

As Teresa wrote in her blog, we went to Historic Portsmouth today, I am loving that New England has such a rich history. Portsmouth is one of the earliest established towns and it was amazing to see houses from the early 1700s considering Australia was only settled in 1788! Its an extremely beautiful part of the world. Although it was freezing, it was also great fun to dip our toes in the Atlantic, we must have looked pretty funny to any onlookers passing by :)

Well that's about it from me, I'm looking forward to another action-packed adventure with Bob & Rosemary tomorrow. Hope all is well back home-although we did hear about Warney! LOL :)

Take care everyone,

Robyn

Bow Rotary Meeting and our adventures with John

Our first presentation was at a Breakfast meeting at Bow Rotary Club. With 68 attendees (including visitors and GSE blow-ins), we gave our first presentation. With laughter and many oohhs and aahhs, the presentation was well received (even Teresa with not much voice was able to be heard :])

After our Bow Rotary meeting, we got in the van and headed out to Maine and Portsmouth with John Lyford our trusty driver and tour guide. On our way, the 4 crazy Australians, dipped our toes into the Atlantic Ocean. It was a bit chilly or should I say invigorating!

When one goes to Maine - Lobster must be on the menu. Teresa put on the bib and cracked a good size Lobster for lunch. Amanda had Lobster pie, David had a seafood platter and Robyn had Chicken and Pasta.

For dessert we went to Yummys a candy store, where David was mega disappointed that there wasn't any chocolate Garden Gnomes.

After some quick fire outlet shopping (Amandas credit card had the most damage) along the way, a stop at the Kittery Trading Post (where we got to see a huge stuffed moose and I brought a face scarf and mask made out of Turtle fur) we headed back to the pickup point (Hampton Inn). The staff at the Inn will think we are doing daily drug drop offs.

Amanda and Teresa continued their shopping at a local supermarket - way too much chocolate was purchased to bring home. Even Weight Watchers Chocolate Turtles.

As I type, we are having a 'Pot Luck' dinner at Chris Parkinson (District Governor of D9690) with some great desserts and even a broccoli and walnut salad. A very tasty dish.

Well I am off to sing Waltzing Matilda now - even with no voice.

Love to everyone at home.

New York, New York

The first few days have been amazing!  The long flights gave us plenty of time to think, chat, and play with technology... New York was brilliant!  After re-claiming my MIA baggage at JFK (it came on the next flight rather than ours), we went on a cook's tour of New York as our packed sardine can of a shuttle dropped people all over town!  Exhausted and craving 'fresh' air we eventually ended up at the hostel...

New York is everything it claims to be and more!  We explored the city from Times Square to hidden treasures, and taking the advantage of the unexpected when some of us caught the subway the wrong way and ended up in Brooklyn! From Wall Street to Bryant Park and Bloomingdales we explored the city... We caught up with a Cowboy, and rode the Ferris Wheel in Toys R Us in Times Square (we were in the mega blocks carriage!)

The beginnings of Spring with the chill of Winter still evident made New York a beautiful place to be with the cherry blossoms and brisk breeze.  We dined at local diners, had cupcakes at magnificant bakeries, and feasted on Cuban food at a well recommended local haunt! 

What an amazing time!

No "I" in TEAM

On the eve of our GSE starting tomorrow I thought I'd jot down a few thoughts about our journey so far.

There is no "I" in TEAM.

What there is though can be seen in the following:-

MET - we began our journey when we MET a long time ago now at the selection day and we've put in all the preparation to get this far.
EAT - seems to be what we do around here. From airline food at odd hours to breakfast and lunch at diners, pizza after the broadway show and a fabulous Cuban lunch.
ATE - just about everything, especially the BBQ corn cob with chilli and lime at Habana's
E.T.A. - so far our ETA's have been realised. The only exception was Amanda's luggage which didn't make the flight from LA and we waited a further 20 minutes for it to turn up.
AT - NYC for a couple of days R&R before we set off to New Hampshire tomorrow.
Ea - we EACH have our own experiences so far and will certainly develop futher as we proceed
ME - The only variation of "I" that we each see as deriving a huge benefit from a GSE exchange but careful to ensure we are as one.
MAT - of the "Welcome" kind I am sure will be put out for tomorrow after Linda and Chris' efforts over the past few months preparation. Thanks guys!
and of course there is MATE - which we have become and sure to remain always.

Looking forward to more postings shortly.

David and the TEAM

New York New York

Hi everyone

Wow what a city. So much to see and do. From the Naked Singing Cowboy in Times Square, to the Statue of Liberty, to The Hudson River. The weather is about 8 degrees during the day, which is a bit nippy. Most of the trees are bare but there are a few blossoms coming out. NY will look great when most of us return in a months time. Not that I want to rush back here as there is so much to see, do and many people to meet in New Hampshire and Vermont.

David, Amanda and Robyn saw Young Frankstein last night on Broadway, whilst Teresa went off Broadway for a lesser known play. There are lights, action and police everywhere along with a Starbucks on every corner.

Teresa got her photo taken sitting on top of the Bull in the Financial District. This then started a craze with everyone doing it.

We are staying uptown in a hostel with a wide range of people of all ages. Lets hope that the young school students are quiet tonight :]

This morning David and Robyn headed off to catch the ferry to see the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island while Teresa and Amanda had a more lesuirely morning (yes mum it is spelt wrong :]) and went to Magnolia Bakery (of Sex and the City Fame) for Cupcakes (and a chocolate and toffee brownie and a macadamia and white chocolate cheesecake). Then after a lovely walk through the village we ended up at Cafe Habana for the best tasting corn in the world. If you get to NY you must try this. Aaron, you are coming here for dinner when you arrive in town!

Amanda and Robyn went into Times Square for some shopping, David went to the UN and Teresa went for a little walk.......well 6 hours later I have stopped and have a blister on my toe to show for my efforts. The Apple Store was amazing (Aaron a photo will be sent to you tonight to show you :]).

Off to bed for me as its an early start in the morning - Amanda and Robyn are seeing another play Legally Blonde.

Our GSE trip starts for real tomorrow - I am very excited. If only I could talk - I have just about lost my voice. Bye for now. Love to everyone, Teresa

Groundhog Day

We began Groundhog day with a sunrise on Monday April 7 and met at the airport at 11.00 am to check in. It was great to have family and friends there to see us off and a good representation from District too. Thanks Paul, Ivan, Graham and John. (maybe they just wanted to make sure we left!). We departed on time and had a safe and uneventful trip accross to LA. It seemed like Groundhog Day though because of the extra sunrise welcoming in Monday 7 April. We arrive LA on time and took ages to transit through Immigration and join our flight for New York. We got on board however after Amanda was finally given a seat allocation and we settled in to spend the rest of the day - and another sunset, on the way to New York. Got in early but had to wait for the next plane from LA to bring Amanda's luggage. All okay in the end and we got to the hostel at around 11.30.
All tried to sleep with various success and we woke around 11 this morning and then put our Day One into action. Spent a great day in New York. Tell you about it later in another entry.
Weather is very warm with a few breezy cool spots out of the sun.
Looking forward to another day in the Big Apple tomorrow.
David