The group got up bright and early in Haydock to eat an early breakfast at 7:00 before taking the bus to Stratford-upon-Avon where we visited the birthplace of William Shakespeare. After going through his house, some of our group was asked to participate in an impromptu rendition of Pyramus and Thisbe. Soon after that...
Continue readingFood: Cooking, Culture, and Customs Day 4: The first challenge!
Today was the Food Intensive Learning group’s first day not traveling off campus. We began by watching an episode of Anthony Bourdain’s Parts Unknown, which gave us a glimpse into Senegalese food culture. We then started our first cooking challenge of the week: a breakfast meal which needed to include Asian fusion. Our group...
Continue readingBlacksmithing Day 3: Cowbells and Kazoos
This is Todd’s story… Today is the first day I came to blacksmith. Actually, I had no idea about what I should do at first. Luckily, with Jack and Cole’s help, I found my tools quickly, and begin trying to burn the fire. At the beginning, we wrongly mixed coal with cardboard and wood....
Continue readingFood, Glorious Food: Eating Our Way Through the Italian Market
Today we explored the Italian Market of Philadelphia. We started by visiting different murals in the neighborhood. The murals were by the famous artist Isaiah Zagar. His murals are very distinct because he utilizes common materials like old bottles, broken figures, and mirrors. One of the pieces of his that we visited was the...
Continue readingLSfB: Day 4: Pizza Day!
Everyone started their day with focus and determination to continue their projects before lunch. Meanwhile, Lauren, Maddie, and Victoria worked all morning to finish the puzzle. They put all 550 pieces in place! Before we knew it, lunch arrived! We enjoyed a relaxed pizza lunch in the sun room. To top off the afternoon,...
Continue readingOur Turn
After three days on the road, we spent today applying what we’ve learned about museums. Curators need to know a lot about the subject of their exhibits, so we chose one we know well: ourselves. Each of us chose several artifacts that tell our personal stories. Working in our travel pods, we sorted through...
Continue readingOff to Wales We Go!
Today, on the 6th day of our trip, we had an early start in Dublin. Waking up around 5 AM, we enjoyed a cruise-style ferry ride to Wales. To pass the time on the boat, we played arcade games and observed the mountainous coastline of Wales. Once we arrived, we took a bus to...
Continue readingMartinique: Bonding at Amboise Palix
Today was an early start as we were switching hotels, so, after eating breakfast, we hopped on the bus and headed to an elementary school called Amboise Palix. At the school, we played games like BINGO and sang songs (Cupid Shuffle, Cotton Eye Joe, Cha Cha Slide) to help the children learn some English....
Continue readingLearning to Find Balance
Today we began the day by having a high-intensity vinyasa yoga practice where we were pushed to our limits for about an hour. Then, we all worked together to prepare and pack our lunch, samosa wraps, to take with us on our trip. At around 10:40 we boarded the bus and left for Pakim...
Continue readingBuongiorno!
Our day started with a three hour flight to Rome. Afterwards we took a bus to our final destination of the trip, Florence. On our three-hour journey we saw beautiful hilltop communities and learned there are actually 20 different regions throughout Italy. We looked at sheep farms and massive mountains while driving to Florence....
Continue readingLSfB Day 3: More Sewing!!!
Today we continued to work on our diverse projects. We used many varieties of colored fabrics to create all different kinds of clothing, including: dresses, bibs, pants, buntings, sleep-sacks and hats. We were encouraged to start new quilts today as well. The quilts we produced are useful for babies and first time mothers because...
Continue readingFood: Cooking, Culture, and Customs Day 3 Vietnamese Adventure
Today, we learned about James LoCascio’s experience as a chef and his process of becoming one. He regaled us with stories of his childhood, and his many encounters with famous people while in the restaurant business. Later, we went to Sunseng Supermarket to shop for our upcoming cooking challenges for the next two days....
Continue readingBlacksmithing Day 3: Howard said, “The fire was hot.”
At the end of the day two smiths worked together to make the “Sussman C”, inspired by activity they did before reading The Scarlet Letter. In class, they had considered the possibility of being punished for cheating by wearing a metal C and the morals behind it. So they created a “C” by bending...
Continue readingDay 3: Chef Joe Poon Shows Us Around Chinatown
Today we went to Chinatown to explore Chinese culture. Chef Joseph Poon gave us a walking tour of Philadelphia’s Chinatown and told us about Chinese history, culture, and food. First, he introduced the gate of Chinatown, explaining every character’s meaning and the colors’ meanings in Chinese culture. Then, he guided us to a herb...
Continue readingService in Martinique
Our first service activity of the day was visiting a Creole Garden or “Jardin Créole”. We started by taking a tour of the area to learn about the different crops grown. Following this, we helped out by replanting crops, gathering turmeric, and picking up leaves. After an hour of service, we sat down for...
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