There's no such thing as a free lunch

This picture was taken during a break from our meal at the berber tent. We were first served an appetizer of fire roasted lamb liver- which tasted delicious, even to the picky eaters who were not told until afterwards what they had eaten. We were also served flat bread and the national drink of Morocco, hot green tea. I enjoyed the tea a great deal- which is good because it was served to us everywhere we went!

During our break we visited the farm owners field close by where workers were harvesting wheat by hand. The field was small and on a steep incline- which is probably why I saw the tractor in the barn and not in use.

Pictures from Morocco

The second picture is of me with an International Harvester that came out of France. Knowing that I would be working for the Red Power Round Up- where all the International Harvester collectors bring their tractors for a little show and tell- I had to get a picture with an ole Red.  first picture is when we are a traditional Moroccan meal in a berber tent- the food was delicious and it was fun and relaxing to lie on carpet and pillows, eat until you couldn't eat anymore and look out at the rolling country side. 

The third picture is of Muhammad, a sheepherder since the age of 14, who we stopped and visited. We were able to ask him any questions we had about his nomadic job, lifestyle or whatever else we may want to know. He was really nice and keeping with the Moroccan characteristics, he was a humorous man who joked saying, "I will come work for you. I have my papers and ID I can leave right now and go to the US and herd your flock of sheep!"

I was taken aback by the hospitality and sense of humor that the Moroccans possessed. I also saw these character traits of ours hosts in Egypt. So far I have a very positive image of North African and Arabic people. They seem very kind and excited to see visitors as well as those who may someday help them improve their agriculture situation. 

Why go to the Olympics?

'If you're ag journalism why do you want to go to the Olympics?'

This question never ceases to surprise me. If you had the opportunity to intern at the Beijing Olympics, or any Olympics for that fact, wouldn't you? While I have studied abroad a couple of times studying agriculture, I have never had a real internship or been abroad for journalism, which is the other half of my major. Besides taking advantage of an amazing opportunity, I also feel that there is a lot I can gain from working at the Olympics. Now I will get to be trained and test my skills in communicating and interviewing different cultures. People from all over the world, from all walks of life, will be at the Olympics- I am preparing myself the best I can for the inevitable culture shock of it all. I love different cultures and people, traveling and communicating. While I will not really get much information about agriculture, that is okay- I am still feeding my passions of international travel and communication. What better way could you think of to practice cross-cultural journalism than entering yourself into a room with hundreds of different cultures and given a special badge and the chore of interviewing athletes when they are done competing?

While I have no doubt that I will be star struck at some point in time, I keep reminding myself that these Olympians are about the same age as me- we have just taken different paths in life and will be playing different roles at the Olympics. I'm sure all of us there, regardless of if we are Olympian, reporter, volunteer or spectator, will be nervous, excited and awestruck all at the same time. 

So to answer the question, in short, the Olympic internship is giving me the opportunity to practice cross-cultural journalism in an international setting. I will gain experiences that I will carry with me throughout my life and far into my career. 

God has presented me with a wonderful opportunity- I would have been foolish to ignore it or doubt myself. If God can lead you to it, He can lead you through it. I don't expect this to be easy- but nothing good in life is; I want to have to work hard, so that at the end of the day I know that I truly accomplished something. 

I'm back!! And preparing to leave again!

I got back from I-CAL (Intercollegiate Agriculture Leadership) a few weeks ago. We spent two weeks looking at the agriculture in Egypt and Morocco. The program was partly funded by the Untied States Grain Council so we were able to see how they have impacted international agriculture- I hope to post more on my experience later- it was amazing. Of all the countries I have ever been to, Egypt and Morocco had some of the friendliest people in the world, with New Zealand close behind. I have never seen such hospitality- it ran deep, regardless of whether we were speaking with Egypt's minister of agriculture or if we were at a women's cooperative in Morocco that were living off of less than $1 a day. Pictures  and stories to come later!

I also just finished up a long weekend, June 11-14th at the Boone County fairgrounds where I worked with Kyle Spradely, an Ag Journalism Senior, taking pictures for the annual Red Power Round Up. I have never seen so many International Harvester tractors in my life! We took pictures of restored tractors from all over the country and attendees from all over the world- including New Zealand and Japan! It felt like I was back home- surrounded by tractors and people wanting to talk about their farming equipment. It was a great experience and I will be working on the show book for that here shortly once we have a meeting and the pictures are ready. Hopefully this will turn out to be a nice piece for both mine and Kyle's portfolios. 

Not being one to sit still- I am preparing to leave for Beijing, China for the 2008 Summer Olympics the first of July. I have started to pack now so that when the time comes, I can spend my last few days in the states working on the Red Power Round Up book. I have also been working on catching up on some readings to prepare myself to interview gymnastics athletes once they are done competing. This should prove to be a great journalism internship. I did find out the other day that the exact translation of trampoline- which is an official olympic sport- from Chinese to english is "bed bouncing"! How's that for fact of the day? But I need to get back to typing notes from I-CAL, just wanted to share what all I was up to- I can't even imagine how next summer can compete with this one! Each summer in college gets better and better, at some point in time there has to be a plateau- unless someone sends me to Iceland...

2008 Senior Capstone

Tonight I rode with Bill Allen and his wife Debbie to watch the agriculture journalism capstone juniors and seniors present their capstone at the Missouri Department of Agriculture in Jefferson City. It was neat getting to watch the 11 different videos and audio slide shows done by fellow Ag J'ers. Most of the videos focused on Missouri's forest industry, with a few about farmers markets. The clips will be given to the MDA, who will post the clips on the internet. 

I learned a lot about forestry in Missouri, an area I am unfamiliar with but know feel I have some background on. Also, the MDA provided refreshments of Missouri grown foods, which was an added bonus. Attending the screening included those who had been interviewed for the videos, as well as the Ag J professors, Ag J alums, a handful of MDA staff, as well as a few faculty from Mizzou. It was a nice group with a good turn out to support Mizzou Ag J students. 

When the clips become available on the internet, hopefully I will have link to the following:

Katie Allen, AgriMissouri Program and Missouri Farmers' Markets

Sarah Jackson, Missouri Forest Products Association

Laura Chapuis, Midwest Veneer Company

Rachel Smeda, WW Cedar

Brooke Tacker, Gastineau Log Homes

Tyne Morgan, Freedom Products Company Inc. 

Taryn Dameron, East Perry Lumber

Alice Roach, NeCo Seed Farms

Allyssa Berry, Premium Ag Products

Christine Tew, Missouri Consulting Foresters Association

Reception at the Chancellor's Residence

MU Chancellor Brady Deaton invited the journalism students preparing to go to the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics for internships to his residences for supper. The dinner was catered by Hoss's who served tacos as well as meat and vegetable trays. 

I had fun getting to really meet and mingle with other Beijing participants. We were all amused how we knew each others' faces but no names. My favorite part was getting to sit on the old-time furniture, beautifully upholstered, like something I've seen in a European castle. I was also entertained that the podium in the residence is the same one that Mark Twain gave an acceptance speech at when he received an award from the University. The house was built in 1867 and is full of history. 

It was a fun experience and I didn't realize how much of an honor it was until I overheard a few professors who have been around for quite some time who had never been to the Residence before. I was amused when I went to sign the guest book that there is a pamphlet on The Residence, but in journalistic fashion (or pack rat, one of the two) I put one in my purse- proof I have been there. 

Mrs. Anne Deaton is a very nice hostess, and I was able to have a good conversation with her about the Peace Corps. This is something that I really want to do and both her husband and son have done.  Overall it was a fun experience and one to put in the book of college experiences. 

2008 ICA/NASULGC

I was able to attend the 2008 ICA/NASULGC Conference thanks to the invitation by the Dean of CAFNR, Dr. Vaughn. It was a great experience getting to meet and talk with other students and Deans from agriculture and life science colleges and universities from across the nation and the world. It was exciting listening to presentations and the current status of these colleges and their possible futures. I was able to think critically about situations I hadn't thought of before and hear the perspective of other states and countries at the same time. 

I have created a blog for the conference and hopefully I will be able to put down some information and pictures. Schools is hectic right now so no promises but I am trying to set some short term obtainable goals to track all of the good times I am having- especially in the midst of projects, homework and tests!