Whaling And Its Aftermath Slideshow

Whaling And Its Aftermath from Justin Joslin

London: Tower of London, Tea, National Gallery

On the last day, we went to the Tower of London and the National Gallery. For lunch, we had some tea with bread, and it was the best thing that I had in London.

- JH


For our last day we walked through two very different parts of London. First was the Tower of London, filled with fist sized diamonds and a well stocked historical armory. We all enjoyed this new darker history of Britain, as well as the glory of its monarchs' history. After a brief walk we experienced the fantastical, almost fairy tale market, selling donuts to vintage records. After was high tea, an odd tradition that swept all of us into an almost surreal lunch. This last day was easily one of our best

- Matthias L.

London: Laws Are Made, You Can Buy Anything, Indian Food, and Murder Mystery

Day 5: After a nice breakfast, the Husky squad made their way to a quick coffee break and then on to the city of London's Parliament building at Westminster Palace. After exploring how the British government works through an audio tour we split for food between a local Pasty (meat pie) shop and an eat (a quick grab fresh sandwich place). Then, it was off to Harrods to look at expensive price tags and experience a big shopping department in London. 

We then worked on our final video project at the Princess Diana memorial fountain while relaxing in the rare sunshine and enjoying some of our final days by putting our feet in the running water and watching the little kids splash about. A quick stop at the hotel, and we were off to try a new culture... indian food. After one of the best meals of the trip, according to some, we again took the tube to meet our tour guide for the Jack The Ripper Tour. An exciting tale and creepy setting left the squad extremely tired and ready to fall asleep for the next day.

- Krista E.


The NHS London group went to the Parliament and listened to information through earphones. In the afternoon, the group did a small project at the wonderful park with the great weather. Finally, during dinner, we went to an Indian food restaurant where the food was better than we thought.

- Andrew J.

Greece Day 6

Our final day in Greece consisted of quite a bit. We started the day with a card swap activity at Starbucks. With coffee in hand, we worked to organize all of our thoughts and information that we learned this week. The crisis is far more complex than we initially thought, so this was a great way for us to put all of the different components out in front of us so we could discuss them. The group managed to organize our ideas and facts into five categories we could use to help put together our final product for this trip.

We then hiked part of Mount Lykabetus (we took a train to get all the way to the top). It had a wonderful outlook over all of Athens and the Acropolis. There was even a small chapel on top and a wedding was taking place inside. Then we climbed back down and headed for lunch. Most of us chose gyros for lunch since it was going to be our last opportunity to get them. They are so delicious and will definitely be missed!

The group then spent some time working on our project week presentation for the symposium. We developed a good plan before we headed back out to Monastiraki Central Market. The group walked around the market taking in the sights of the different shops and doing some souvenir shopping. It was also a night of celebration in Greece, similar to that of Halloween, so we saw a lot of people dressed up in costumes and there had been parades earlier in the day.

We had our final dinner at Anafiotikas. We ate a lot of greek salad and kabobs as well as grilled cheese (not the sandwich). It was all delicious and the group had no problem finishing our plates. We had a wonderful walk home even in the rain, just enjoying each other’s company and laughing about our times together on the trip. We will be heading out tomorrow morning to our flights back to the States where we will all be getting a much needed rest. It has been an amazing week and we have gained so much insight into the crisis and Greece and the issues impacting their ability to recover.

Arm Day: Vieques

Saturday started by meeting with our favorite folks from JAK Watersports, a local company run by husband and wife team, Carlos and Denise. We spent the morning snorkeling through some serious surf and paddle boarding.We saw a green turtle, an octopus, schools of Blue Tang and a big Eagle Ray! After all this activity, we are all developing some serious biceps! 

A more somber moment of the morning came when we paddled out to a small island and saw buoys that warned us not to approach the island because there were active bombs present. Our guides warned us we were not in danger, but it was a scary realization to understand the impact that the U.S. Navy’s bombing has on the island.

After a great lunch on the beach, we headed back to the “Trust” to meet with our favorite guy, Mark Martin. With the help of some local kids, we spent the afternoon handing out over 400 reusable grocery bags to locals. Last year’s Project Week group got the ball rolling with this project and now plastic bags are BANNED on the island!! It was great to connect with that project and understand how small actions can have a big impact.

Our day finished with a fantastic dinner at La Finca. Taco night! We spent the evening playing games, giggling, and discussing the impact this trip had in our lives. Caelin F. commented that, “her eyes were open now, and this trip changed the way I look at the world.” Many other students dittoed her sentiments and discussed the profound impact that the people of Vieques played in their lives. Mr. T and Ms. Barila became a little teary eyed watching this powerful transformation.

London: The Globe Theatre and Sarah's Peak

Today, on March 11, 2016, we explored and encountered the roots of theatre culture in London. We visited the Globe Theatre, and during our time there we underwent an acting workshop with a wonderful British man who works at the theatre himself. The Globe Theatre represents a lot of culture in London, especially considering how its design divides the social classes. Then we were treated to a production of Twelfth Night. It was incredible! Being in an open air theatre like that, in a mutual light, led to a whole new level of interaction with the actors; they made eye contact and were even jamming prior to the start of the play while interacting with us.

We also had the pleasure of visiting the Tate Modern Museum twice. At first we quickly walked around with minimal time to appreciate the art, but after lunch and the show, we had the opportunity to go back. We stayed at Tate Modern for about a half an hour before heading off to a pleasant pizza dinner on the South Bank. Following our dinner we went to see Wonder Land, which was an awe inspiring production with its use of technology in a modern twist on the story of Alice in Wonderland. It was a fantastic way to end the day in the National Theatre and it was Sarah's peak.

-Sarah S.

Final Day with LtN

I awoke this morning with Haley's eyes piercing into my forehead. We made a quick walk over to Soda Marcel where we have been lucky enough to eat breakfast for the last five days. Following breakfast we met the kids at their community field to practice for their soccer game on Tuesday against one of the neighboring towns. After weaving through cones and getting our ankles continuously broken in the 98º sun by third graders, we turned our direction to the waves at the beach, meeting some of the older students for a VERY competitive volleyball game. Once the tide hit a high and the sun hit a low we packed up our belongings and said goodbye to Playa Pena one last time. 

At dinner tonight a majority of us realized how much these kids in Potrero have made an impact on our lives in such a short period of time. This past week in Potrero has undeniably flown by and tomorrow morning it is hard to think that we will have to pack up and leave this amazing place and even more amazing people. The dedication Lacrosse the Nations program has in Potrero is heartwarming. We will continue to support LtN's mission back home and will remember the faces of the kids that made our experience here life changing.

- Asa G.

7000 Feet in Banos

Today we made our way back to Baños. We battled through the rain and ended up going ziplining, climbing up the mountain, and finishing with ziplining back down the mountain. Though many of us were scared of heights, we battled through that as well. I was really hoping that it would be sunnier out, but it was still a great time.

After ziplining we had an amazing lunch. Then we went to the hotel and the view is absolutely gorgeous. It is mountains on mountains, and they look like they go on for forever. When walking in town you really get to know the culture, you get to see how the food was made. I recommend the taffy it is delicious. Some of the guys got their butts kicked in soccer by some local boys, others chose to go to the spa or the hot springs. Tonight we are planning on going salsa dancing and walking some more around town. Baños was a good stop, it really mad me expand my horizons on how I think about different cultures.
-Jess C.

Mariposa: Day 6

At Play in Bonita, with our simply amazing guide, Sarah!

March 12th, 2016 is our group's last whole day in the Dominican Republic. Although most projects are already over back at New Hampton School, the Mariposa Foundation project has had another fulfilling day. In the morning, we had a sweet sleep-in until a 9 o'clock breakfast at the hotel with French toast, omelets, fresh pineapple and papayas. Then we headed to the Playa Grande beach, which is one of the most famous beaches on the north coast, with our lively DR music in the Guagua Taxi. The rain and wind did not stop us from going into the intense waves and having fun. The sun soon came out and we had another wonderful fried chicken, bean and rice meal at the beach. During the sunbathing time, some of our girls got corn rows from a local woman who uses her amazing braiding skills to earn her living. We also tried the Dominican handmade "cookies" with sweet coconut and milk/ginger/ peanut and chocolate. There was a middle age local man holding a big box of handmade jewelry, like bracelets with the DR flag, passionately selling his products. At first, we were bartering with him, but after our tour guide Sarah told him about the project we were doing, he cut down half of the price for all products and said thank you for doing this for my country. We again were impressed by the welcoming and friendly attitude in this culture.

Lunch of steamed parrot fish and fried chicken on the beach

After heading back to the hotel and having a shower break, we had another amazing dinner at the home of the Suriel Family. Margo and Freddy prepared chambre, a stew with rice, beans, potatoes, and squash. Grecia was very kind to make us fresh, hot peanut candy which was gobbled up in a few minutes.

Mr. Tyson serving the chambre

Grecia's hot peanut candy for dessert

We wrote a thank-you letter to our host family in Spanish but it was still very hard for us to say goodbye. We can't believe that the one week project is almost over, and we especially treasured our last day in DR before heading back home. But at the same time, we cannot wait to share what we have seen and learned in DR with our friends, families, classmates and teachers when we get back. 
                                                                                                                          
- Amy N. '16

Visiting the Greek Islands

Today the group went to three different islands via boat off the coast of Greece. The islands we went to were Hydra, Poros, and Agina. The first island we went to, Hydra, was represented in the way of an amphitheater, in other words the houses and buildings were built up into the island all surrounding the port. As for Poros and Agina, their buildings were spread along the coast and they both consisted of narrow streets, stairways and interesting architecture.

The islands are a lot different in the winter. They are very seasonal: they flourish and have much more business in the summer because of the warmer weather. In the winter months people are still there but not nearly as many. There were many shops and small stores on these islands, and something that occurred, which doesn't in the United States, was that we were able to bargain with the store clerks to try and lower the price for different souvenirs.

It was a great experience going to the islands today. We focused on 10 topics; Greece, tourism, the crisis, tasty, history, economy, potential, I/we, pessimism, and optimism. We came across these 10 topics when visiting the islands, even if it wasn't right in front of our faces. We had to look but we were able to find them. We learned a lot about the islands and how businesses there thrive.

  

Ultimate Cooking Final Menu

The young chefs created this mock menu featuring everything they made over the course of the week. This is a lot of deliciousness, people!

Day 5: Au Revoir, Montréal!

We all woke up at 9:00am and went to breakfast at Olive and Gourmando in the Old Town. They specialize in organic, local ingredients and served us a very good breakfast including yogurts, paninis, and pastries. We all sat down and enjoyed our breakfast and got ready to head back to school! After that, we went to a souvenir shop to get our last minute souvenirs from the amazing trip to Canada that we had. We all bought different clothes, candies, and exchanged our money back from Canadian to American. Then, we went back to the hotel and packed up our stuff so we could get ready to leave for school. We all talked about our favorite times on the trip and we had a fun bus ride back. We stopped at Subway for our last lunch as a group before crossing the border. Then, we ended the day by getting back to campus, preparing for the symposium, and finishing our time with our project week group. It was a wonderful week!

An Amazing Experience!

What an amazing day the Vieques travelers had today! The day began by returning to the museum to finish our project with our local friends Ardel, Gracie, Leonardo and Carlos. Using recycled satellites as our medium, we painted manatees, turtles, birds, and different symbols of island attractions (snorkeling, biking etc.) Our artwork will be hung in the Cieba Tree park, creating a friendly atmosphere to bring locals and tourists together.

After we finished painting the satellite dishes, we ate some lunch (home made chocolate chip cookies!) and then took off to the Wildlife Reserve. We were in awe of the natural beauty of the secluded lagoon. After a quick demonstration from local our guide, Gabo,  we hopped on the paddle boards and headed over to the red mangroves, which surround the bay. We had to lie down on our boards and use our hands as paddles to get through! It was a great experience, but some of us weren't so fond of the bugs! (right, Cece?) We then paddled to a beach where we parked our boards and snorkeled to a reef. There were many bright fish and a big stingray! After a tough paddle into the wind, we headed for Chastee’s restaurant for a big homemade meal of pig, rice, cole slaw and potato salad with banana bread for dessert! Many of the local friends we made throughout the week joined us for the feast! What a great day to be a Husky! :)

Day 5 of Beyond Fitness Was a Success!

We started the day planning our future outlook and designs for the group gym businesses. We then traveled to Concord for the afternoon and met a fitness trainer at his own gym, Fun Intelligent Training. He spoke to our group about some amazing real life challenges and roller coaster moments in his career in this industry and as an entrepreneur, and he hit home the idea that hard work goes a long way, especially while you are having fun in what you do! His lecture was awesome, and he even put us through one of his Bootcamp style class workouts... boy were we sweating! So much fun!

We got back to school in the afternoon and put some last minute touches on our business proposals and ideas. We then finished the presentations... and the winner was...

Auden, Teddy and Jake with their gym called Young Souls! Becca and Kaitlyn created a Zumba facility. Stella, Riley and Nastia put a unique spin on a spa and fitness facility. Cheickna, Chuk, Ethan, Beckoff, and Carter took a big plunge into a large sports and fitness facility with a little bit of everything for a spectrum of clientele.

Each business proposal was unique and innovative - the students really worked hard and made their ideas really come to life in their sales pitch!

It was a wonderful week overall! :)

Day 5: Tinker Shop Exceeds Expectations for the Week

Entering the week, the expectations were for the Tinker Shop group to build 6 Adirondack chairs, learn automotive skills, and learn landscaping basics. However, by week's end the group had built, primed, and painted 8 Adirondack chairs and built 2 picnic tables. While the group learned automotive skills such as changing oil and changing a tire and landscaping skills such as chipping and splitting wood, they also took the opportunity to learn plumbing basics (specifically soldering pipes together.

It wasn't all difficult manual labor throughout the week, as the group also had some fun with driving tractors, playing "blowerball" and driving the RTV. It was a successful week inside the garage and woodshop, as well as outside on Pilazzi Field and Blood property.

 

 

"This week in tinker shop was extremely educational and productive. We started off making the ADK chairs, while the other half of the group learned about basic engines, changing tires and servicing cars. Then we went to palazzi field and split wood and used the wood chipper. Later that day we went to the Blood Property and got to use the tractors, backhoes, leaf blowers, weed whackers and power brooms. This day was the highlight because I had never driven a tractor before and it was so much fun. The next day we went back to the ADK chairs to assemble and prime them, then the next day we painted them. We also made picnic tables on the last day. Over all, this was a very fun project and I learned a lot about carpentry and basic mechanics, a great experience in general."
-Conor C. '18

 

Overall, the week in Tinker Shop was a huge success. The collaboration on projects between students, project leaders, and the maintenance staff was flawless. The students came out of the week informed about various trade skills and developed a comfortability using multiple tools. The tangible results showed as well, building 8 beautiful chairs and two picnic tables. A HUGE thank you goes out to Dana, Dave, and the entire amazing NHS Maintenance Staff! It was a pleasure working with all of you throughout the week!

Keeping up with the Huskies Day 5: Almost There...

Bobby and Egor are amazing and we thank them very much!

Our day started off meeting at our home base. Egor and Bobby got to work and then the rest of us got to work making cupcakes and brownies for Egor and Bobby.

We have seen some awesome clips put together of hours of filming and are still working on the final product!

We will be ready to kick off the symposium at 9:30AM!!!

Vamos a la Campo!

Friday morning Costa Rica: Vamos a la campo! Today we were lucky enough to spend all of our time with the children that attend the public school in Potrero. Starting with gym class on the field and then crafts in the english room! Many of the kids are practicing for their track and field event coming up in the next week! Later in the day we participated in the kids weekly Fun Friday event. Kickball vs the “bigger people” is what was in store for us. After crushing all their hopes and dreams we got our butts kicked in return while playing soccer. 

We finished up the day with a walk to watch the sunset at Playa Penca in Potrero with our friends Jeffery and Mateo! Although they can’t swim they used Simon as a good floating device. Two days left on our Lacrosse the Nations trip, can’t believe how fast our time is flying by. Many of us also can’t believe how burnt the human body can actually get. Feel free to overnight some aloe to Potrero for us. Pura Vida!

Adios Los Monos

Day 5: Our group met the other volunteers for the first time and we got to work with them on our last day at the animal sanctuary. Today we split up into multiple groups, worked on cleaning the cages and carried rocks. At first it was our job to replace the food platters for the birds and monkeys, then we cleaned out their watering holes and refilled them. Once that was finished we spent time moving rocks to create a new path. 

Finally we took a short break and then took a hike into the jungle. In the jungle we saw massive trees, swung on vines, and looked for animals. Unfortunately we didn't see any animals but we finished the day with a great lunch and a final goodbye to Yonacocha Animal Rehabilitation Center.