McKay Proctor- Winchester College

Winchester from the College Cathedral

First and foremost, I would like to thank MBA, Winchester, Headmaster Gioia and the Warner family for making a trip as incredible as this possible. Without all their generosity on all fronts, none of this would have been possible. I really cannot thank them all enough.

I have a lot to cover, but I will break things down into sections for convenience.

Academics

The most striking thing about the academic culture of Winchester was the deep focus of the English educational model. Where the American system zeroes in on pesky things like “grades” and “tests,” the English predicate their learning on a holistic course. Everything goes toward a larger purpose and goal, not the smaller signposts of their American cousin. For me, this difference made for a fascinating immersion in my three academic classes: Physics, English, and History. There were national exams to worry about, but those were not for another year in most cases. Each course seemed more like a leisurely romp through the subject matter than the hurried pace I have grown used to. Our Physics class, for instance, would spend entire days trying to determine just why an experiment churned out the results it did. Everything in Physics was abstract and the mathematics of it all fell into place beyond those principles.

In History, the material focused on a depth of understanding. Our AP curriculum makes vast swaths of history into survey courses, covering nearly three hundred years per semester in some cases. At Winchester, the history department taught to tests in the same way, but the tests are about the ins and outs and minutiae of the subject. My American History class spent a week on the Parliamentary situation following William Pitt’s fall from grace leading up to the American Revolution. Every possible angle was brought to light and the discourse was lively. I took more than a little delight in finding myself in a discussion of the American advantages in the war of the Fourth of July.

Harold Pinter- Manic and brilliant

English was similar to history in its emphasis on depth.  In the time I was in my rotating English blocks, We covered a grand total of three authors: American expatriate T.S. Elliot, Irish master (and Mr. Kelly favorite) James Joyce, and Nobel Prize winning playwright Harold Pinter. I had read some of each, but never with the intensity or the energy that Winchester demanded. Even with the intellectual commitment, the professors kept the material rooted. Mr. Taylor spent a day telling us how he had run Harold Pinter out in a club cricket match (It’s like a forceout in baseball, just different).  We spent Bloomsday reading Ulysses outside in the college court. We listened to contemporary Parisian music to go along with Eliot’s somber portrait of the city.

Apart from all the knowledge imparted on me, the main thing I gained from the academia of Winchester was the sheer joy of it all. Everything was an opportunity for enjoyment. At MBA the work can get in the way of the love of the subject at times. After my Winchester experience, I can say I approach my daily studies at MBA with a bit more wonder and whimsy- freer from the constraints of grades and more focused on the actual goal of learning something.

Div

My div atop the cathedral

I separate Div from academics because it was truly a different beast.  Div is a free flowing class meant to  shed departmental divisions and focus on articulating big ideas. In my month there, we read Proust, watched a brilliant young Sidney Portier in the classic In the Heat of the Night, discussed the merits of the designs of airports and train stations around the world (my favorite has always been Hong Kong International), and deemed the Americans the best at making breakfast. On my last day of classes, we climbed to the top of Winchester Cathedral (a more harrowing experience than expected) and read Whitman. We sounded our collective barbaric yawps over the rooftops of the word. It was pretty special.

House Culture

Enjoying the grounds

Obviously, the house culture was a big part of making my Winchester experience. At Cook’s (my house of residence) Parrish and I found ourselves in a healthy environment. The house had a reputation for being well rounded, leaning toward sporty. Parrish and I took part in many afternoons of yard cricket (a truncated version of the  actual sport) Basketball (much to my delight) and headers and Volleys (an intense variant of soccer). We never felt foreign or even like outsiders. Everyone in Cook’s extended their welcome to us and we took it. By the third day, I had identified all the NBA fans in exile and we were plotting how we would watch the Finals which would not start until one in the morning English time. Life in the house was a little bit more regimented than life on the Hill, but for good reason. If all fifty boys were allowed free reign, things would spiral quickly. The banter inside the house was unmatched.

Travels away from the school 

Taking in Regents Park

Parrish and I spent a fair amount of time with our new Wykhamist friends wandering the township itself. The biggest landmark in town was the Cathedral which is something to behold. It’s a hulking gothic thing with beautiful gardens all around. We even found a hidden garden that was perfect for reading or sneaking a nap in the sun. The town’s main street was delightfully English- cobbled sidewalks, boxy storefronts and thatched roofs. On our free time sometimes we would walk the “strip,” taking in the scene of quaint bustle.

Our biggest experience off campus was a trip to London on a delightful day. Our close friend Marti Moshfeghi took us under his wing for an incredible foray. We caught a train into Waterloo station, then went to Regent’s park for Taste of London, a festval celebrating the city’s high cuisine. We were surrounded by the culinary delights of an international city. We spent half and hour tasting different olive oils and balsamic vinegars. We sampled any and all fare offered, it was truly incredible. We even found a Malaysian bazaar selling A&W root beer next to Fanta with fruit flavors I had never heard. After that, what clouds there were gave way to pure blue. We went from the festival into the park with Marti's puppy (a Chihuahua the size of a gerbil) to walk off the food. We found our way into the Rose Garden for what was a sublime, if serendipitous experience. We strolled among color burst and fluorescent blooms until we ran out of time. 

One of the acres and acres of rose fields

Of all the afternoons I have passed waltzing through parks, that has to be in the top three. The combination of the weather, the feeling of foreignness and familiarity made for something magical.

The gate outside the Rose Garden

Soccer

I couldn’t go through my Winchester experience without discussing the beautiful game. I have always had a cursory interest in the sport, but in England I “found religion” so to speak. My stay overlapped with the Euros, a tournament of the best European sides contested in the off cycle of the World Cup. All of England turned its eyes on 23 men in white shirts. I was glued to the screen for every bit of the action I could catch.

Every team had a personality and I was determined to decode each. Germany was a glorious machine with an artist at the helm in their half-Turk attacking midfielder Mesmut Ozil. Holland was a dysfunctional assemblage of beautiful parts with no continuity between Wesley Sneijder’s brilliant vision and Robin Van Persie’s chocolate legged (the Dutch phrase for a left-footed player translates as  “Chocolate leg”) finishes. Beloved England was a scrappy if unglorious side. Captain Steven Gerrard did his best to cover the team’s offensive flaws with his swooping inswinging crosses, but even he could not hold up a fundamentally flawed side. The eventual champions, the Spaniards, were a little bit more manic than their World Cup iteration, but the fundamentals were the same. Barcelona midfield mates Andres Iniesta and Xavi Hernandez were the captains of a vaunted tiki-taka attack that would disembowel their larger opponets with needle points.

He knew it was going in. He knew it. 

By far my favorite side of the tournament, the Italians were a bold set of stylists and elder statesmen – Mario Balotelli excluded – lead by their virtuoso holding midfielder Andrea Prilo. I cannot put into words the way he saw the game and dictated the pace with such economical flair. In a tournament filled with neon-booted rapscallions, Pirlo stood as the one player with actual style. He seemed more like a man browsing the bread aisle than a world-class midfielder when he addressed the ball with his shoulders back and his feet working below an unflustered face and a divine mop of hair. He carved the rude English like he was purging his half of the field of their stench. He seemed to almost be playing a different game. His opposite, Gerrard, was visibly frustrated, but Lord knows he could never stop such a force of nature. I would have never submerged myself in the sport quite the same way without a push from the Englishmen around me. Now I am beyond hooked, and I thank them for that. 

The Six-a-side Invincibles bask in their glory

There was soccer to be had even beside the Euros. Parrish and I were honored with managing the Cooks Six-a-side tournament side. Footballing geniuses that we are, my assistant Mr. Preston and I devised a counter attacking 2-2-1 that made use of our mobile wingbacks and agile midfielders. Under our toutelage, the side went undefeated on its way to a championship. The final victory on penalties came from a well struck PK from a fellow American, Imran Adeeyo (born in Boston and a diehard Celtics fan) on July 4^th. It seemed a fitting end to a championship run. Parrish and I were easily the greatest managerial duo in English Footballing history, so we retired on top, clutching the cup with both hands as a reminder of unparalleled glory.

I pose with the hero of the final

I could go on for days about the amazing experience I had over my month across the pond. I have not even come close to summarizing every event, mentioning every person, or recounting every tale that made it so great, but I wish I could. I want to thank all of my Wykhamists from the bottom of my heart, along with Mr. Gioia, the Warner family, and the school for making all of this happen. Until next time. C’mon England!

Raffles Institution Exchange

This summer I had the opportunity to travel to Singapore and go to school at the prestigious Raffles Institution.  The trip is an experience that I will never forget and opened my eyes to just how vast the world is.
Traveling to Singapore and First Impressions
Falkner Werkhaven, J.T. Braun, and I left for Singapore on the 20th of July.  Traveling for 27 hours was very tiring.  One highlight was Falkner being stopped in the Tokyo Airport and swabbed down to make sure he was not carrying any diseases. We arrived in Singapore at 12:30 in the morning on the 22nd of July.  We were essentially flying both the 20th and the 21st.  We walked through Customs, and met our tour guide Rachel who took us to Raffles.  Many of the cabs were Mercedes, which was definitely different, and the fact that they drove on the left side of the road took a while to get used to.  I finally got the dorm at 2:30 and took a shower.  The only problem was that I didn't know how to turn the hot water heater on, so a cold shower did the trick. It took me about 4 days to overcome the jet lag and the 13 hour time change.  
First Week

The view from the Singapore Flyer.

Biodiversity Pond

The first morning we went around exploring the campus.  The entire school was outdoor (except for the classrooms).  Everything was in the shade, so it never became very hot.  The most interesting part of the school was the Biodiversity Pond where many variety of fish were held. Falkner tried to catch the barbed fish with his bare hands but was unsuccessful. The school was 7 stories tall and consisted of lecture halls and smaller classrooms.  The classes were similar to the ones at MBA except for the fact that we were placed in an all-girls class. Having gone to MBA for the last 5 years, this aspect was certainly different but fun.  We were fully welcomed into the class and were shown around by all the girls throughout the trip. A usual day consisted of going to classes, followed by a field trip of some sort, and then having the night to do whatever we wanted. The first week we went to the Singapore Flyer, Singapore Discovery Center, and the Singapore Art Museum.  The Singapore Flyer looks right over the bay and is located near the financial district of Singapore.  Being afraid of heights, the Singapore Flyer was pretty scary, but the view was very good. 
Second Week

Singapore Night Safari

The second week we were more on our own, and we started taking the train to many of the shopping center around Singapore.  Since Singapore is small, we could travel to many places in under an hour.  Every few days we would meet our class at a subway station, and they would show us the large shopping centers.  One of the highlights of the second week was going to the Night Safari at Singapore, which is essentially a zoo that is only open at night.  We first watched a show that featured all the various animals and then walked around to see the native animals. The weather that night was very nice, but just like Nashville, it was very humid. In addition to the Night Safari, we went to the Peranakan Museum, which features the Asian Culture and most importantly the varying groups that partake in the culture.
Third Week
During the third week the group from Korea that traveled to all these different sights left, so we relied on our class to take us on some adventures. One night we ate dinner at our English teacher's restaurant.  The restaurant was pub style as the teacher was British.  We ate fish-n-chips and it was certainly the best meal of the trip. Trying to stray away from Western Food, we spent the last night in a local market, which mostly featured seafood. I tried the fried Oysters and a sugarcane drink, but I did not like either that much.  I did find some chicken kabobs which were outstanding though.

Interesting Facts about Singapore

1. Singapore prides itself on its cleanliness. The streets are spotless and because chewing gum is against the law the sidewalks are also very clean. The harsh fines for eating in the train, spitting, or littering range anywhere from $200 to $500 US dollars. The people of Singapore take great pride in their city, so maintaining this cleanliness is not as hard as one would think. 

2. Compared to the large population, the percentage of people who have cars is very low. Citizens have to bid on their license in order to receive one.  Sometimes these bids can be thousands of dollars.  Singapore wants to limit the number of cars on the road, so the city is maneuverable.  Many of the cars are Mercedes, BMW, and Audi because most of the wealthy drive cars.

3. Because many items are imported, the price of some goods is extremely expensive.  It costs roughly $20 US for two pints of Haagan Dazs ice cream.  Skittles were $4 US for a small bag.  Drinks were usually the most expensive.  A coke cost usually $4 US and that did not include refills.  Many of our friends could not believe that we drink up to three glasses of coke in one meal. The only way to eat fairly cheap was to go to the markets and local restaurants.  We found a Samosas store near the Indian center and bought 15 for $8 US.  On the topic of food, one oddity was that neither the milk nor the eggs were refrigerated.  Bread is also a hot commodity.  We found many vending machines that housed loaves of bread.  Some of them would even heat the bread for toast. We also came across the common mashed potatoes and gravy dispenser.  These could be found in any Seven-Eleven (similar to our Walgreen's).  None of us, however, were brave enough to try it. 

4. Public housing is provided for all citizens of Singapore.  The housing is in apartment styles and new apartments buildings are being added very regularly. Because most married couples live in public housing instead of asking your girlfriend to marry you you ask, "Dear, shall we apply for a flat together?" This phrase was one of the few I did not pick up at first, but most of the language is very similar.  One word that I did pick up was "pon," which students use to mean skip as in skipping school.





I would like to thank Mr. and Mrs. Warner for their generosity and all the planning that went into making the trip what it was.  It was an experience I will cherish, and I thank you for giving me the opportunity. I would also like to thank Deborah and Emily for showing Falkner, J.T., and me around Singapore for the three weeks and Rachel for welcoming us and planning many of the field trips. Additionally, I would like to thank Mr. Gioia for setting up this relationship with the Raffles Institution. I have learned so much from my experience, and I would like to thank everyone once again who made it possible.

Kaylor McCracken, Exchange to Cape Town, South Africa

Arrival:

          After an 11-hour plane ride from London, England to Cape Town, South Africa, Conner Griffin and I finally arrived to our exchange destination at 9:00am on July 14th. Being 7 hours ahead from our usual time zone in Nashville, it is needless to say that we were both jet lagged and did not even notice leaving each other to find our hosts. Nevertheless, I was excited to meet my host family, the Steingaszners and to begin the adventure that I had looked forward to for months on end. Upon leaving the airport with my host student, Sevi, and his father, Geza, I was immediately astonished by the beauty of the land around me.

(View of the mountain range)

(Field of yellow flowers)

(Rolling hills into valleys)

(View of the mountains covered with clouds and connecting to the beach)

(View of a beach along coast)

          Mountains, beaches, oceans, valleys; it was all there, and I had truly never seen anything like it. If no one had reminded me about the effects of jetlag, I honestly would have thought that I had died and gone to heaven.

Host Family:

          When we reached my host’s estate, I began to realize just how lucky I was to be staying with a family of such vast culture and experience. My host mother, Ghenwa Steingazsner, was an accomplished, Lebanese woman who found her passion not only in cooking, but in brightening the lives of everyone around her. Having a perfessional chef as a host mother, I never once went hungry and ate like a king. My host father, Geza Steingazsner, originated from Romania and had thrived in music, living all over the world, including California and Saudi Arabia. After learning about the lives of my host family members and spending the weekend with them, I was slightly disappointed when I was reminded that the majority of my stay would be in a boarding house 45min away at the Bishops School. However, when I arrived there, my excitement for the experience before me nearly doubled!

(View of the sanctuary and school from the rugby field)

(View of the rugby field and the home stands)

(Table mountain behind the rugby field)

          The campus of Bishops consists of a large Chapel, several school buildings, athletic fields, and seven different boarding houses. I stayed in the School House with my host and his friends, who were immediately welcoming with the usual South African hospitality. 

(School House)

             Though many days consisted of attending classes playing rugby, the school organized several trip for myself, Conner, and the 15 other exchange students that were attending the school from all over the world. One of my most favorite adventures included a hike to the top of the notorious Table Mountain. Little known fact, Table Mountain is in the process of becoming the 8^th wonder of the world, for its astonishing reputation of being the most ancient solid rock mountain in all of the world. 

(View of Table Mountain from the Bishops)

(Views of Waterfront from Table Mountain, mid-hike)

 

(Less than encouraging sign on the hike down the mountain)

However, quite possibly the best week of my life was spent on the Garden Route, which is a tour of the South Western cape of Africa. The trip consisted of 5 days of pure adventure, each of which we made the most of. Besides visiting the various towns along the way, we were fortunate enough to do the following activities:

visit the most-southern tip of Africa,

go bungee jumping off the world highest bungee jump course,

 visit the famous suspension bridges of near Hermanos (whale-watching central), 

play with ostriches, 

and see the big five, the most famous of African wildlife, as well as many other animals indigenous to the land.

(Me with Cheeta)

(Zebra)

(Far-away view of lion....can never get too close)

(Antelope) 

(Hippo)

(Ostrich sitting on eggs at sunrise)

(Giraff) 

(Elephants)

(Pesky Baboon...most common and clever house thieves in South Africa)

           Upon our return from the Garden Route, we resumed our usual school activities until we took our final trip of tourism; a ferry ride to Robin Island where the national hero Nelson Mandela was kept prisoner for 27 years.

(Air view of island with Capetown and Table Mountain in background)

(Nelson Mandela's prison cell)

By the end of my trip, though I was excited to return home to Nashville and see my family and friends, I knew that I would be nostalgic of my home in South Africa and the family that housed me there. I established a permanent relationship with my hosts as well as with the guys that became very good friends of mine. I still keep in touch with them and look forward to visiting them all again some day. I am so thankful for this experience and for the positive impact it has had on my life. I highly recommend the exchange to every student at Montgomery Bell Academy and I encourage each of them to work diligently and apply to be selected as an ambassador for the school in a foreign country such as South Africa. I owe my upmost gratitude to Headmaster Gioia and the Warner family for providing me with such an amazing opportunity. I support the process of foreign exchange offered at MBA, as it has truly changed my life and view on the world in which I live, and I hope that the program has the same impact on others who are fortunate enough to receive exchange.

South African Dialoge:

Bru  =  Bro

Howzit?  =  How are you?

Proper  =  very/real

Joll   =  party

yawhh!!  =  wow!!