{"id":483,"date":"2016-09-13T12:12:49","date_gmt":"2016-09-13T12:12:49","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/wordpress.fau.edu\/lifelongexchange\/?p=483"},"modified":"2016-09-13T16:50:05","modified_gmt":"2016-09-13T16:50:05","slug":"what-i-did-on-my-summer-vacation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wordpress.fau.edu\/lifelongexchange\/2016\/09\/13\/what-i-did-on-my-summer-vacation\/","title":{"rendered":"What I Did On My Summer Vacation"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Sandi<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

By Sandi Page (Member of the FAU LLS Marketing Committee)<\/em><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

During the many years I lived in France, my highly anticipated spring ritual was deciding in which European countries we would spend a month of our summer vacation.\u00a0 It was sheer heaven and, fortunately, I had those many vacation memories to look back on as I found myself, due to unforeseen circumstances, house-bound this summer.\u00a0 Always determined to follow my personal philosophy of \u201cBloom Where You Are Planted\u201d, I was ready to face the challenge! There is a certain deliciousness about unexpectedly having a string of days\/weeks filled with ordinary activities, unencumbered by outside appointments and alarm clocks.\u00a0 With a house filled with books and music, I was off to a good start!<\/p>\n

My biggest joy was suddenly having all the time in the world to answer the call of two of my teenage grandsons in France.\u00a0 One needed me to help him prepare for the oral and written English part of the baccalaur\u00e9at (commonly referred to as the bac), a diploma awarded by the French Ministry of National Education.\u00a0 It consists of the dreaded set of national oral and written exams that every French high school senior must pass in each subject at the end of their senior year in order to get their diploma.\u00a0 How well they succeed in these exams has a deep impact on their future.\u00a0 Created by decree in 1808 under Napoleon I, this diploma is required in order to attend university.\u00a0\u00a0 In my grandson\u2019s case, he had to take exams in Philosophy, History, Geography, Economics, Math, Anthropology, Spanish, and English, all given on successive days, so that intensive studying long in advance is a necessity.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 (Students take their French exam at the end of their junior year and that grade is included in their final bac scores).\u00a0\u00a0 To add another twist, these exams are not given by your own teacher nor are they graded by your own teacher so what you may have accomplished during the school year has no bearing on your results.\u00a0 He also needed my assistance in concurrently preparing for the international TOEFL exam (Test of English as a Foreign Language), another complicated one-day series of English tests in reading, writing, and listening comprehension.\u00a0 It is an exam required by many universities.\u00a0 Finally, after these hurdles had been successfully dealt with, we worked on strategy and language skills for his oral interviews at universities which had conditionally selected him based on the scores he had achieved in his \u201cconcours S\u00e9same\u201d, yet another series of national exams for students interested in an international career in business.\u00a0 All his hard work paid off as he has now been accepted into a top-level trilingual BBA program in France with all classes taught in English.\u00a0\u00a0 What a deeply satisfying feeling it is to help our younger generation achieve their educational goals.<\/p>\n

My younger grandson, who has just entered his junior year in high school, needed my help in improving his oral and written English in order to go to New Zealand for a 5-week high school exchange program where he attended classes with the locals and also played on a rugby team.\u00a0 He has just returned and had a marvelous time.\u00a0 His English has improved even more and he is exhibiting just a trace of a Kiwi accent!<\/p>\n

My next project was to do research on the best new laptop for my needs to replace my 2008 one which, except for a long-dead battery, still worked well.\u00a0 However, it had become impossible to update my Windows Vista and my Microsoft Security program (built-in obsolescence), thus making it unsafe to use.\u00a0\u00a0 After resisting for a long while because of the many problems friends had encountered with Windows 10, I realized that this summer was the perfect opportunity to learn a new operating system and so, I bought a 2016 laptop.\u00a0 I did not experience any kind of a learning curve, fortunately, even though Windows 10 seems to require an additional click for each operation.\u00a0 The biggest inconvenience was opting out of the many ways Microsoft tries to get your permission to access your data.\u00a0 To those of you contemplating a similar new laptop purchase, Windows 10 is not really the demon challenge it\u2019s made out to be.\u00a0 You\u2019ll do just fine.<\/p>\n

Another of my summer projects was enrolling in two on-line courses: one, with Harvard University, is a fascinating course on ancient Greece.\u00a0 There is a lot of reading involved but the subject is a passion of mine.\u00a0 The second course is a Spanish class for English speakers offered by the Universitat Politecnica de Valencia.\u00a0 It is well-presented and exactly what I was looking for.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Now I can\u2019t wait for our LLS classes to begin!<\/p>\n

So, my dear readers, how did you <\/em>spend your summer vacation?\u00a0 Some of our faculty, staff and fellow students have some fascinating answers to that question!<\/p>\n

Dr. Joan Lipton (Faculty)
\n<\/u><\/strong>Prominent Jewish Artists from Europe and America<\/em>, Nov. 14, 21, 28, Dec. 5, 2016 – 2:30-4 p.m.<\/p>\n

My summer is always wonderful because we spend six weeks in New York City for our annual fix. As an art historian, I want to keep up with current exhibits in the museums here as well as take day trips to museums beyond the city. This year, I’m planning on Dia:Beacon and the Yale art museums. Of course, we don’t miss out on going to the theater almost every night and ethnic restaurants that are special. All in all, I will need a vacation after this one from all the running around, but…then come the many venues where I lecture! Happily, I enjoy preparing them and sharing my love of art with these audiences, so who needs a vacation of R&R anyway??<\/p>\n

Dr. Taylor Hagood (Faculty)
\n<\/u><\/strong>Hagood Reads the Phone Book: Ripley, Mississippi<\/em>, Nov. 15, 2016 – 12-1:30 p.m.;
\nSherlock Holmes: More Real Than Life Itself, <\/em>Nov. 22, 29, Dec. 6, 13, 2016 \u2013 12-1:30 p.m.<\/p>\n

This summer\u00a0I enjoyed a fine trip to Italy. Besides spending time in Rome and in the mountains\u00a0around Campobasso, I also spent a week at a castle on the border of Lazio and Tuscany training in Italian foil style of fencing. Nestled among the green hills close to\u00a0Orvieto, Santa Cristina Castle is owned by Count Antonello Mancini Caterini, whose ancestral line includes a Cardinal. Count Mancini Caterini has turned his family property into an equestrian destination, and it was a great venue for fencing. It is also within easy driving distance of Siena,\u00a0Montalcino, and Florence. Needless to say, the food was wonderful, and I especially enjoyed the mozzarella di\u00a0bufala, fresh prosciutto, and fabulous bread in the Campobasso\u00a0area.\u00a0Now I am back in South Florida and am preparing for the fall session at Lifelong Learning. I am very excited to be offering a four-week series on Sherlock Holmes, which\u00a0will include a look at the life of Holmes\u2019s creator, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, and a focus on some of the major stories and novels that feature the famous super-sleuth while also considering stage and film adaptations. I am also excited to do a one-time event that will be unique; over the\u00a0years,\u00a0people have expressed interest in some of the asides I include in my regular lectures\u2014asides that tell personal stories or unusual occurrences I have experienced. Responding to that interest, I will present some of these\u00a0in\u00a0a style of presentation that might be best described as a blend of\u00a0Prairie Home Companion<\/em>\u00a0and a Jerry\u00a0Clower\u00a0talk. The event\u00a0will\u00a0feature\u00a0stories of real-life people in the area where the writer William Faulkner lived\u00a0and where I was born\u00a0and will be\u00a0entertaining as well as educational. I\u00a0hope to see everyone there.<\/p>\n

Dr. Robert Rabil, Faculty
\n<\/u><\/strong>Dr. Rabil is on Twitter @robertgrabil
\n<\/em>The Future of Iranian-Russian Relations: <\/em>\u00a0Implications for the U.S. and Israel’s National Security<\/em>, Nov. 19, 2016 – 1-2:30 p.m.;
\nIsrael and the Arab Gulf States: A Superficial or Strategic Alliance in the Making?
\n<\/em>Dec. 8, 2016 – 9:45-11:15 a.m.;\u00a0U.S. National Security and the War on Extremism, <\/em>Oct. 10, 17, 24, 31, Nov. 7, 14, 21, 28, 2016 \u2013 9:45-11:15 a.m.<\/p>\n

I had a rewarding professional\u00a0summer. I edited my manuscript\u00a0The Syrian Refugee Crisis in Lebanon: The Double Tragedy of Refugees and Impacted Host Communities.\u00a0<\/em>The book, which was published in mid-August 2016, has already been well received by analysts and scholars. According to Professor Samuel Edelman, \u201cthis book is a most critical read for anyone trying to grasp the refugee crisis confronting us today.\u201d<\/p>\n

I was invited to participate in high-level U.S. government-sponsored forums in Washington, D.C. and other places. I also counseled senior foreign policy advisers in the U.S.\u00a0presidential campaign. In my lectures and discussions with senior U.S. officials and military personnel, I made the following points:<\/p>\n

The war against Islamist extremism (Salafi-jihadism) is a war against a triumphalist religious ideology that cloaks itself in the sanctity of the sacred and the history of authentic Islam. Western political leaders have blighted themselves by misconceiving the very nature of the threat and turning a blind eye to some Muslim allies whose fight against Islamist extremism is a mere fa\u00e7ade.<\/p>\n

Carrying out limited attacks on the Assad regime as part of a plan to help bring about a political resolution in Syria, as called for by a number of current and former U.S. officials, is a misplaced and dangerous plan. It\u2019s noteworthy that though, in principle, one could call the Syrian state as the Assad regime, in practice, this Syrian state is part of a regime where power and the decision-making process are shared by Russia, Iran, Iraqi Mobilization Units and Hezbollah. Consequently, the United States should not entertain any plan of attack on the Syrian regime, even in a limited capacity, unless Washington has a sufficient number of U.S. troops complemented by massive firing power in Syria. True, Russia is part of the problem in Syria; nevertheless, Russia is an integral part of the solution. Both pro-regime and anti-regime policies in Syria have failed. Turkey\u2019s foreign policy re-orientation (as well as a main cause of the botched coup d\u2019\u00e9tat) is a product of this failure and its implications for the security of Ankara.<\/p>\n

The refugee crisis has become a tragedy of epidemic proportions affecting both refugees and impacted host communities, especially in Lebanon and Jordan. Absent a political resolution in Syria, the U.S. should play a key role in supporting the paradigmatic shift in how the UN has come to help refugees and impacted host communities, whereby the protection of refugees is bolstered by helping build the resilience of vulnerable host communities.<\/p>\n

Dr. Kurt F. Stone, Faculty
\n<\/u><\/strong>When the Legend Becomes History, Print the Legend! – Nine Classic Western Films
\n<\/em>Oct. 10, 24, 31, Nov. 7, 14, 21, 28, Dec. 5, 2016 – 7-9 p.m.<\/p>\n

In mid-August, my wife and I spent several days up in North Carolina’s Blue Ridge Mountains, where I gave a series of lectures at the Wildacres Conference Center and Retreat.\u00a0 We had a marvelous time; the people – including the other lecturers – were both intellectually\u00a0stimulating and enormously\u00a0gracious; the food simple, kosher and plentiful; the temperature quite moderate, and the landscape more\u00a0breathtaking than anything ever painted by\u00a0Corot<\/a>,\u00a0Turner<\/a> or\u00a0Claude Monet.<\/a>\u00a0About the only fly in the\u00a0ointment was that Wi-Fi and cellular connections were all but nonexistent. It took about 48 hours to quit feeling guilty about whatever calls or emails we were missing, and begin to see in the “loss,” a significant “gain.”\u00a0 What gain?\u00a0 To wit, having the time to smell the roses, chill out, and be far more contemplative than our complexly-wired times permit.\u00a0\u00a0Once\u00a0the chilling-out process got into full swing, I found myself wondering how to best describe what the value of this non-internet, non-cellphone interregnum really was.\u00a0\u00a0During my spare time between lectures and meals, I read a couple of books:\u00a0\u00a0Theodore Rex<\/em><\/a>\u00a0<\/em>(the second in\u00a0Edmund Morris’\u00a0biographic trilogy of Theodore Roosevelt), David Lodge’s novel\u00a0A Man of Parts<\/em><\/a>\u00a0<\/em>(a brilliant fictional biography of the writer H.G. Wells) and a collection of Raymond Chandler stories entitled\u00a0The Simple Art of Murder<\/em><\/a>.\u00a0<\/em>And there, in\u00a0one of Chandler’s short stories –\u00a0Goldfish<\/em>\u00a0– I found the\u00a0description\u00a0I was looking for; a cloud-clearing explanation of the value of being\u00a0mostly disconnected\u00a0from the rest of the world.\u00a0At one point in Chandler’s\u00a0intricate tale of murder, mayhem\u00a0and missing pearls, detective Phillip Marlowe informs us “It was a quarter to five when I got back to the office.<\/em>\u00a0I had a couple of short drinks and\u00a0stuffed a\u00a0pipe and\u00a0sat down to interview my brains<\/u>.”\u00a0<\/em>\u00a0Again . . .\u00a0“I sat down to interview my brains.”<\/em><\/p>\n

There it was: a simple description of a complex\u00a0. . . well . . . complex.\u00a0 What our high-speed, interconnected cyber world has given with one hand – instantaneous communication, access to both the accumulated knowledge, wisdom\u00a0and folly of humankind and the entirety of reality within 140 keystrokes – it has also taken away in terms of time to contemplate, cogitate, and consider what we think and believe before opening our mouths or putting our\u00a0fingers to the\u00a0keyboard.\u00a0\u00a0Because we have, to a great extent, lost the ability – even the desire – to “interview our brains.”\u00a0 My recommendation?\u00a0 Turn off the phone; log off the internet.\u00a0 Take the time to “interview your brains.”\u00a0 It can’t hurt.<\/p>\n

Emily Morton – Staff
\n<\/u><\/strong>My summer was fantastic. It consisted mainly of relaxation with a touch of spontaneous travel as well. In early June, I went camping in the Keys and snorkeled at Looe Key Marine Sanctuary. I swam with Great Goliath Groupers, colorful Parrotfish and even a few sharks, including (possibly) a bull shark, which was terrifying but extremely cool! Looe Key is one of the most beautiful natural areas that I have ever visited, and I did not want to leave. In July, I traveled to Jackson Hole, Wyoming to visit the Grand Teton National Park. The colossal mountain peaks are unbelievable, and the area is home to incredible wildlife such as bison, beavers, elk, pronghorn, moose, bears and more! Hiking the long, steep trails and visiting the large Elk Refuge were humbling experiences for me, as I realized how truly small I am in this big world. Between my travels, I did some reading for fun and also began researching graduate programs. All in all, this was one of my best summers yet!<\/p>\n

Ginny Higgins – Student
\n<\/u><\/strong>Summer is an interesting time in Florida.\u00a0 Many people try to “beat the heat and humidity” and travel.\u00a0 I get an added bonus.\u00a0 My husband is one of 14 children from an Irish Catholic family. \u00a0(I am Jewish with one brother!) \u00a0His immediate family is now up to 113 people and growing each year through marriages and births!\u00a0 The heart of all these people is a small 4’10” woman whose birthday is July 29th.\u00a0 What that means is that we are ALWAYS in New Jersey at the end of July to celebrate.\u00a0 This year was her 99th birthday.\u00a0 As always, it is spectacular.\u00a0 She is amazing!\u00a0 Every day, she FaceTimes with all generations on her iPad, sends birthday wishes, and lets us know the latest news. Her women’s club has celebrated her life with an amazing song and dance presentation. She is a real life Zelig. Her mother was the telegraph operator for Teddy Roosevelt at his “Summer White House”, she witnessed Lindbergh taking off from Long Island on his solo trip to Europe, she took a seminar with Albert Einstein (said she didn’t understand a word he said), was one of the first to go through the “new” Holland Tunnel, and was on the way to pick someone up when the Hindenburg exploded.\u00a0 She recently threw out the first pitch at a local baseball game, has continued to “act” in yearly holiday productions of her women’s group, teaches bridge in nursing homes (she still lives alone, by the way), and basically acts as a female “don” at all occasions.\u00a0 She sits in a comfortable chair and everyone comes to talk to her. Over 60 attended this year.\u00a0 She is busy planning for the two parties she wants us to have for her on her 100th – the first is for her friends and her children and spouses.\u00a0 The second will be for her immediate family!\u00a0 We shall be busy as everyone plans to attend, of course.\u00a0 Just one last note.\u00a0 As Jim and I were leaving this year, she was placing bets on a horse race with one of his brothers!!!!!<\/p>\n

Yvonne Peters – Student
\n<\/u><\/strong>It was a quiet summer.\u00a0 I went to Atlanta to see my grandkids and then to the Caladium Festival in Lake Placid, Florida in July with my niece and her two young sons, James and Richard. Time spent with them is always an adventure!\u00a0 At the beginning of September, I took my grandnephew, Frank, to Orlando so we could swim with the dolphins. He is now a teenager and this was his <\/em>trip.<\/p>\n

Sandy Henry – Student
\n<\/u><\/strong>This summer, my son and daughter-in-law treated me to a marvelous 10-day trip to Stockholm, Sweden for my upcoming \u201cbig number\u201d birthday.\u00a0 My son knows Stockholm like the back of his hand so I had my own private tour guide.\u00a0 We did a lot of walking, living like locals with public transportation trains, etc.\u00a0 There were many highlights of the trip: seeing Sankt Nikolai kyrka (Church of St. Nicolas), most commonly known as Storkyrkan (The Great Church) in Gamla Stan, Stockholm\u2019s Old Town, the Vasa Museum with the only preserved seventeenth-century ship in the world, the ferry crossing to Drottningholm Palace (absolutely beautiful) and a trip to Uppsala to tour the area and to see the Uppsala domkyrka (Uppsala Cathedral), the largest and tallest cathedral in Scandinavia. Stockholm is so beautiful!<\/p>\n

My greatest pleasure was seeing my son and daughter-in-law\u2019s small condo that he bought there for vacation purposes (I stayed in a lovely hotel nearby).\u00a0 I met all their friends for either lunch or dinner and now I can readily accept and understand why they want to retire in Stockholm.\u00a0 It\u2019s much too cold for me.\u00a0 Brrrrr!\u00a0 I can imagine the winters there.\u00a0 We had two cold and rainy days and I was bundled up.\u00a0 After that, it warmed up to 80 degrees and was more to my liking.\u00a0 It was amusing on those days to see all the Swedes gather at the water sites and take in the sun.\u00a0 The food was delicious and we selected a different ethnic restaurant each day.<\/p>\n

Jean Dessoffy – Student
\n<\/u><\/strong>Are you looking for a new travel experience?\u00a0\u00a0Are you tired of the usual bus tours, moldy museums, or begging urchins?\u00a0\u00a0This summer I experienced a refreshing trip where I felt that I had left my destination a little better off than when I arrived.<\/p>\n

The TV news has recently been full of pictures of a ship operated by a new company, Fathom,<\/em> when it made its first port call in downtown Havana.\u00a0\u00a0Fathom<\/em> operates cruises on a ship named \u201cAdonia\u201d from Miami to Havana every other week.\u00a0\u00a0Less well publicized, but in my opinion more interesting, is where this ship goes on the alternate weeks.\u00a0\u00a0It sails for the north shore of the Dominican Republic on a mission that might be described as a \u201cmini Peace Corps\u201d.\u00a0\u00a0The ship docks for four days, turns off\u00a0the engines, and encourages you to experience life helping the locals. They call it an impact activity. The passengers can choose from a range of activities designed to enhance local industry providing jobs for people in this rural region.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Passengers can choose workshops such as planting trees to replenish forests stripped for construction material, pouring concrete floors to prevent children from catching dirt-borne diseases when playing on the floor, making water filters to purify polluted drinking water, or spending a day at a summer camp for children who want to practice English.\u00a0\u00a0That\u2019s what I did.\u00a0 The cost of the trip was modest, because out of a week\u2019s adventure, minimum fuel was being consumed on the four days we were in port.\u00a0 The passengers ranged in age from young students with their families to older retired folks like we see at LLS lectures.\u00a0\u00a0Many college students were testing their aptitudes to sign up for a full tour in the Peace Corps.\u00a0\u00a0You learn to respect the upcoming generation when you see them anxious to accept new challenges and exhibit a willingness to help others.\u00a0 The \u201cAdonia\u201d is a recycled P&O ship that has all the amenities of other cruise ships like good food, spacious cabins, a pool, bars, etc.\u00a0\u00a0There are no midnight buffets, Broadway shows, or casinos, just real people making important contributions and feeling good about doing good.\u00a0\u00a0If you are looking for something new and worthwhile, why not give it a try.\u00a0\u00a0Go to\u00a0https:\/\/www.fathom.org\/discover\/<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Sandi Page (Member of the FAU LLS Marketing Committee) \u00a0 During the many years I lived in France, my highly anticipated spring ritual was deciding in which European countries we would spend a month of our summer vacation.\u00a0 It…<\/span><\/p>\n

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