From the Capitol to the Big Apple
Last week, us Global Church and Society interns traveled from the most important city in the United States to arguably the most popular. Even though I had been in New York just a year ago, it is clear as a bell that exploring and getting to know all of New York in just a few days is preposterous. Even though I consistently joke reasons for me to not like New York because of their enigmatic subway systems and grid, I was still blessed to be able to go there again last week with GBCS and leave with new knowledge and better insights.
It was nice to kick off the main event of last week being the Fourth of July. I'm one those people who says that "Independence Day" shouldn't really be celebrated, but that's another conversation for a different time. So because of I'm half and half on the 4th, my day started later, around 3 p.m. Once I finally exited my residency, I walked to National Mall to meet up with a colleague from a former program we participated in. Later on that day, we both met with this year's current participants of that same program and the coordinators/leaders. We all stayed at the National Mall and waited for the fireworks show. Despite thoughts around what the Fourth represents, it can be enjoyable to spend it in D.C. because the atmosphere is often festive and the fireworks show is a pleasure to watch on top of the Washington Monument.
It was a pleasure being able to visit and stay in New York. I must first say that we stayed in the best hostel I've ever been in. The accommodations were spectacular and the location was convenient to a few of Manhattan's most eminent attractions. Aside from the United Nations building, my favorite visit in New York was Sylvia's restaurant in Harlem, funny enough. I've actually heard about it a few times and knew that it was a hotspot for anyone who unequivocally wants to dine well. Despite the unexpected rain, I still enjoyed traveling there and back because I've never been to Harlem and I'm glad I got the chance to go. On our one free day, I pretty much stayed in the same area for the majority of the day. As I alluded to before, trying to visit all of New York can get stressful, so I didn't even bother. A friend and I attended the Metropolitan museum of Art and walked around approximately half of Central Park.
After we had finished all that was needed to do, I came back from New York with a greater sense of compassion. With refugees and migrants being the focusing topics of our trip, I was prone to gaining more perspectives about these civilians through personal stories and seminar discussions. I certainly wasn't oblivious to general reasons for intentional or unintentional mobilization factors. A lot of refugees and migrants had originally suffered from calamitous circumstances that may have evolved from strict government control. I believe as humans and as people of God, it is our duty to be open minded towards fellow refugees and welcome them with our arms.
Khary Armster
EYA Summer Intern
Blog #5
It was nice to kick off the main event of last week being the Fourth of July. I'm one those people who says that "Independence Day" shouldn't really be celebrated, but that's another conversation for a different time. So because of I'm half and half on the 4th, my day started later, around 3 p.m. Once I finally exited my residency, I walked to National Mall to meet up with a colleague from a former program we participated in. Later on that day, we both met with this year's current participants of that same program and the coordinators/leaders. We all stayed at the National Mall and waited for the fireworks show. Despite thoughts around what the Fourth represents, it can be enjoyable to spend it in D.C. because the atmosphere is often festive and the fireworks show is a pleasure to watch on top of the Washington Monument.
It was a pleasure being able to visit and stay in New York. I must first say that we stayed in the best hostel I've ever been in. The accommodations were spectacular and the location was convenient to a few of Manhattan's most eminent attractions. Aside from the United Nations building, my favorite visit in New York was Sylvia's restaurant in Harlem, funny enough. I've actually heard about it a few times and knew that it was a hotspot for anyone who unequivocally wants to dine well. Despite the unexpected rain, I still enjoyed traveling there and back because I've never been to Harlem and I'm glad I got the chance to go. On our one free day, I pretty much stayed in the same area for the majority of the day. As I alluded to before, trying to visit all of New York can get stressful, so I didn't even bother. A friend and I attended the Metropolitan museum of Art and walked around approximately half of Central Park.
After we had finished all that was needed to do, I came back from New York with a greater sense of compassion. With refugees and migrants being the focusing topics of our trip, I was prone to gaining more perspectives about these civilians through personal stories and seminar discussions. I certainly wasn't oblivious to general reasons for intentional or unintentional mobilization factors. A lot of refugees and migrants had originally suffered from calamitous circumstances that may have evolved from strict government control. I believe as humans and as people of God, it is our duty to be open minded towards fellow refugees and welcome them with our arms.
Khary Armster
EYA Summer Intern
Blog #5
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