Diversity, Bus Counts, Horse Laughter, and (perhaps) Maximum Respect

It’s been a long time since I have been in a classroom setting with high school students, and to be honest, I forgot how taxing the process can be. My students (or “scholars” as they are called at the conference) are generally a great group. There are some really great kids in my Leadership Group Meetings (LGMs).

The most amazing part for me is working with students of such diverse backgrounds – my students come from America (from Hawaii to New York to Puerto Rico), Canada, Trinidad and Tobago, Bahrain, Venezuela, Ireland, Brazil, and Hong Kong. They all bring such unique perspectives to the discussion and in that regard, it is fun to facilitate their leadership learning. We are working with three pillars of leadership: cross-cultural communication, conflict resolution, and goal setting. I guess there is just something unique about putting a group of young people from around the world into one room and hearing them talk about their lives. The spark in their eyes when they realize that, despite their differences, they’re quite similar, is exciting and fuels me through this experience. After all, I am here for them.

By the way, I am looking out the window at the Hungarian countryside. Live. In color.

We had lunch on our first full day together with students at the Vienna City Hall, a beautiful gothic style building. Food was served banquet-style in the main hall of the building, and I have to say, it was fantastic. There have been some…well, cheesy things we’ve done with the kids, but this was the real deal. And while most of my faculty advisor colleagues were sitting at the reserved table, I was at a student table since one of mine was tasked with asking our politician speaker a question. In all seriousness, that meal may represent one of the highlights of all of my work with students in any setting. What better time to engage a group of students in a way that encourages cross-cultural interaction. After all, the students at this twelve top were from Venezuela, Guatemala, Jordan, Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago, the US and Philippines. Their discussions were exceptional.

Getting from place to place is, as one might expect, a unique endeavor. Commonly known as bus number four, our Czech-born bus driver, Arnold (picture Mike Myers, a la Austin Powers with gray hair) along with our Czech guide, Barbora, handle transporting the 42 students from place to place. Turkey and Austria (my group and Raabia’s group) are on it like white on rice. Mike from Toronto leads into the count with a chant that begins the disjointed count. Jonah, my rock star, finishes the numeric journey with a war cry that sends the bus into victorious cheers. Incidentally, Jonah also wears Ray Ban Wayfarers as eyeglasses, thus making him my hero.

Did I mention that vast Hungarian sunflower fields are all around me?

Now for the good stuff. My bus partner is Raabia – she is from DC and is fascinating. She did her master’s work in history, studying the concepts of history, memory, and politics as it specifically relates to the Cold War (check out her site: www.coldwarmemory.com). It is nice to be working with someone who brings out the fun in me. But, of course, we all fall victim to our own perceptions. Raabia thinks I laugh too much. At least, that’s what she tells me. I know that it’s in jest, but it has become the running joke. Apparently, I laugh like a horse. Horse laughter, as it is now called, is my trademark. I’m not quite sure how I feel about this. But suffice it to say that I tried suppressing my well-known guffaw the other day en route to a gelato shop in Swedenplatz (Vienna), and it physically hurt to leave it in. Moral of the story: I laugh. A lot. And, I can’t keep it in no matter how hard I try! I suppose it could be worse.

The moral of the story – this has been a wild adventure so far. Every day provides new and meaningful opportunities to interact with incredibly talented and motivated students from around the world. We are the only people who will have this moment in time–these ten days–to make a lasting impact on each other. Factor in the talent and vast experiences of those with whom I work, and the opportunity for me, personally and professionally, is tremendous. For that, I am very grateful.

Side note: We just arrived in Budapest and had some time at the Citdadella (the Citadel). The view from the top, looking down over Buda (hilly) and Pest (flat) separated by the Danube River was really beautiful, despite it being overcast. I took some pictures, which were very serious ones. If you consider acting like a fool with my friends being serious. I am constantly impressed with my professionalism. I epitomize it.

In tribute to Raabia (in a British/Pakistani accent): “brick wall – imagine a brick wall between you.” [Insert horse laughter]

QUOTE OF THE DAY

Spoken by my Bahranian student during our cultural exchange in an effort to dispell misconceptions about Bahrain: "As much as I'd like to, I don't go to school on a camel."

Peace and love.