DATE: Mon, 18 Apr 2005 21:42:19 +0100

RE: Ambassadorial Scholar Update - Christina Matteotti

Hello all!

Greetings from England. After a five week Easter vacation, summer term started today and, so, I'm back to studying and working hard (even though, as a postgraduate student, I did work hard over the vacation period). Although I did lots of research and writing over the holiday (I promise!), I had the opportunity to do quite a bit of travelling--on Rotary-organised trips, to the Accident and Emergency department at the local hospital, to Italy for a vacation, and to the Rotary national conference.

At the beginning of Easter vacation, I and one other Ambassadorial scholar joined three youth exchange students and two Rotarians on a trip to northeast England. We were certainly an international bunch - the Ambassadorial Scholars hailed from Canada (me!) and the USA, the youth exchange students are from France, Brazil, and Taiwan, and the Rotarians are, not surprisingly, from England. We all piled into one car (with a roof rack for luggage, thankfully!) and drove three hours to Durham. At Durham, we wandered about and visited the cathedral. We also visited Alnick Castle (Hogwarts in the first two Harry Potter films); Hadrian's Wall; Homestead Fort, the best preserved Roman fort in England; Lindisfarne Island, the site of the birth of Christianity in England, its castle and its priory (now in spectacularly beautiful ruins).

The most exciting part of the trip, however, was our accommodation: we stayed in a castle. The coordinators booked a Landmark Trust property for the duration, a 12th century castle in the town of Morpeth that has been given to the state and refurbished to a high standard. It was absolutely amazing and loads of fun.

I'm afraid that my trip to the Accident and Emergency department was neither eventful nor exciting. I managed to--in my culinary brilliance--slice a finger open while cooking and wound up needing one stitch and some steritape to hold the wound shut so it could heal. While much has been said about the declining state of the National Health Service in England, I was amazed at just how quickly I received

treatment: it took 45 minutes from triage to the moment I was out the door. Although I'm quite sure this was abnormally fast--I must have arrived at an ideal time--the quality of care was high and the waiting time can't be beat (especially as I was expecting to wait, given that my injury was minor).

After completing a term paper that was due halfway through Easter vacation, I took what was supposed to be a short trip to Venice. When the Pope died, however, I changed my flight and went to Rome for a couple of extra days. I avoided St Peter's square, at first, and wandered about Trastevere and enjoyed the company of friends. I did, eventually, join the queue to see John Paul II lying in state.

While some queued for 24 hours, I was in line for ten hours. The crowds were unbelievable and I wish that I could fully convey just how difficult and crowded it was. As I understand, the queue stretched for some 3 miles, the first two miles down streets running beside the Vatican and St Peter's square and the last mile down Via della Concializione. The first two miles--down the side streets--were packed and it was impossible to move in any direction until the crowd pushed you forward. Residents and shopkeepers living or working on these two streets were literally trapped: they couldn't get in or out of their flats or shops and didn't even have the opportunity to move their cars off of the street before the onslaught of pilgrims. There were three different control points--staffed by Carabinieri, Italian military police--to limit the number of people in each section and prevent trampling but I can assure you that the crowd was very dense in each of the sections. There were water points and first aid points throughout but, even so, many people had to leave the queue and sometimes required emergency medical assistance. I was stuck at the last control point for one hour and this was where ambulances were waiting to whisk away the ill and those who had collapsed from fatigue, dehydration, or hunger. It seemed like the emergency services were called into the crowd every other minute before running out with someone on a stretcher. It was an unbelievable and surreal experience, on many levels.

And, finally, I've just returned from the Rotary national convention, held this year in Manchester. RIBI (Rotary in Britain and Ireland) hosted RI President Glenn Estess as well as Princess Anne and both spoke at the conference. We also heard from the first British woman to climb Mt Everest, the Rotarian who coordinates the Shelterbox initiative (basic survival kits for 10 people) and his experiences with the tsunami relief effort), and a Rotary Peace fellow talking about his experiences in coordinating peace camps for children from Northern Ireland. The evening activities were wonderful - 700 children from six educational authorities in the greater Manchester area participated in a concert to raise funds for Rotary's African initiatives. They played in astoundingly good brass and wind ensembles, played steel drums and djembes, sang with small choirs and ended with an inspiring mass choir performance of traditional African music. It was a wonderful weekend and I very much enjoyed celebrating Rotary's 100th year at the national conference.

I've attached the following photos (and hopefully they'll arrive in the correct order so as to be easily matched with their descriptions!)

1) Morpeth Castle - we stayed here during our trip to the north of England

2) Our group outside of Alnick Castle (Hogwarts in the Harry Potter films)

3) A shot of the queue to see the Pope in Rome from above (I'm wearing the blue scarf at the the bottom of the photo). It was nearly impossible to raise my arm in the crowd as there was very little room to move in any direction.

4) Another shot of the queue. The streets were packed throughout with people pushed right up to the buildings on each side throughout.

My experiences as an Ambassadorial Scholar have been more amazing than I could have possibly dreamed. Thank you again for affording me this opportunity.

Best regards,

Christina Matteotti

Ambassadorial Scholar 2004-5, District 5360

Greetings from Christina Matteotti in England!

Hello to my sponsoring Rotary clubs!

Just a quick update about my ambassadorial scholar year in England. I've started an MA in English Literature at the University of Warwick. The University of Warwick is just outside of the city of Coventry in the West Midlands (about 90 mins by train from London) and is one of the UK's top research institutions (following only Oxford, Cambridge, and London schools). The campus is absolutely lovely and the English department is wonderful.

My dissertation on Thomas King and Aboriginal Literature in Canada has now been approved and I've started my research. I'm currently taking courses in critical theory and literature of the American Southwest. In the spring term (right after Christmas), I'm registered in courses in postcolonial theory and revolutionary aesthetics. During the summer term (following Easter), I'll be finishing my assessed essays (one per

term) and getting ready to work on my dissertation. Over the summer vacation (which starts at the end of June), I'll be finishing my dissertation and, hopefully, I'll receive my MA after examination boards in October.

Culturally, it hasn't been too hard to adjust (speaking English

helps!) and I certainly am enjoying things like British sweets and biscuits! I'm still rubbish at making tea but hopefully this essential cultural skill will improve with time. I managed to do a bit of travelling in Ireland, France, and Spain before the academic year started and had a fantastic time (especially in the sun!). I'll be doing bits of travelling as the academic year goes on and do hope to do more extensive travelling during my vacations (the Christmas vacation is four weeks long and the Spring vacation is five weeks long).

Next weekend, I'm heading to the Isle of Jersey for District 1060's district conference and it should be a wonderful time. There are 15 Ambassadorial Scholars in the district--from around the world--and it will be lovely to have a social weekend away. The Ambassadorial Scholars are from around the world--Mexico, Kenya, the United States, Germany, and, of course, Canada--and we are an eccentric bunch!

I have been overwhelmed by the generosity of Rotary and am very thankful for this opportunity. My host counsellor, Brian, and his wife Barbara were very welcoming, putting me up in their home the evening I arrived, helping me furnish my flat (I have furniture, but no kitchen ware, linens, etc), and driving me about in Britain. They are absolutely wonderful and I am very grateful for their assistance, kindness, and generosity. It's absolutely amazing that I can fly halfway around the world and feel like I've come home.

Please do feel free to contact me at this email address at any time. I hope all is well in Lethbridge.

Best,

Christina