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Teacher describes incredible journey overseas

By Billie Dunn

COXSACKIE — Social studies teacher Leif Roberg applied for a sabbatical last year so that he could travel, and his request was accepted unanimously by the Coxsackie-Athens School Board at an April 2007 Board of Education meeting. Between last fall and this summer Roberg traveled to three countries — India, Israel and China — and now he’s back, and sharing his experiences.

“Everybody asks me what my favorite trip was,” said Roberg to a crowd of more than 50 students, teachers and community members in the high school auditorium Monday evening. “It was India. It was the most challenging country I visited.”

In India Roberg says he encountered gorgeous scenery, interesting culture, and poverty — a lot of it.

“As with most countries, in India there are some very wealthy people, some middle-class, and a lot of poor people,” said Roberg, who took thousands of photos and hours of video during his sojourn.

A closer look

In India, Roberg roamed the streets, ate on rooftops and slept on the floor — on a foam mat, that is.

“One of the things we take for granted as Americans are the beds we sleep in,” said Roberg, who admitted to doubling-up his mat, which was only a few inches thick.

While in India Roberg took to the congested city streets where he saw, among other things, roaming cows, donkeys and camels, monkeys looking for food, and a walk-up dentist. He also stopped at an Indian McDonald’s.

“It all looked pretty standard at first,” he said, “but then I got up close.”

Rather than the American standards — a Big Mac, a Quarter Pounder with Cheese, or Happy Meals — the Indian menu boasted a number of beef-free specialties, including the Wrap Paneer Salsa, the Chicken Maharaja Mac, the McVeggie Burger, or Shahi Chicken McCurry Pan.

But exciting city streets and interesting cuisine aside, India is also where Roberg encountered what he calls his “lowest point” while traveling.

He was in a train station when a young boy approached him for money, which Roberg says isn’t uncommon. But despite the boy’s begging, Roberg refused to comply. He says that in India women and children who beg for money are often controlled by pimps who abuse them. Instead, he committed to donating money to UNICEF — an organization that provides humanitarian assistance to mothers and children in developing countries.

“I don’t want to give anyone the wrong idea about India, but in reality we often overlook the services we have here in America,” said Roberg.

Before leaving India, Roberg visited the Taj Mahal, a building that he says will literally take your breath away.

“You can look at these pictures all you want,” he said, “but you really can’t appreciate it unless you’re there.”

The Taj Mahal wasn’t the only architectural wonder that Roberg visited, though. In fact, he and his paper travel companion Flat Kat — a cut-out cat given to him by a co-worker — visited known landmarks in each country they visited, and Roberg wrote about their experiences in a blog:

“…Compare any city in North America to Rome, Alexandria, or Jerusalem, which are each over 2000 years old and our cities seem like mere infants. Because of our geography, I believe it’s hard for Americans to appreciate the impact of growing up surrounded by history.

On the other hand, when you visit Israel or any other country with thousands of years of written history, it’s almost impossible to find a city that doesn’t have an incredible story. Fortunes of entire families that had been living in the same city for a dozen generations or more were influenced by epic swings in power over hundreds of years. More often than not, a city would be destroyed, only to be rebuilt by the conquerors…”

The blog, titled “Where is Roberg?” also includes photos, background information, frequently asked questions, and commentary from Flat Kat. It’s available online at http://whereisroberg.edublogs.org. Roberg also filmed Monday’s slide-show and plans to make it available online.

While traveling, Roberg stayed connected with family and friends through Skype — computer software that allows users to make telephone calls over the Internet. He also conducted live Web casts from wireless hot-spots while abroad, virtually “meeting” with Coxsackie-Athens students.

Roberg attributes his experiences abroad to the support of family and friends.

“I received such an outpouring of support from the community,” he said, “and I have a lot of people to thank for that.”

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