Monday, April 27, 2009
just fyi
Hello all. Just so you know, I have a 20 page paper due on Friday. As such, it is unlikely that I will be updating this before then. Not to worry, I have hand-written accounts of the trips to the NATO Youth Summit, Nice, and Copenhagen. So those should be pretty full entries. Munich's might be short, but that's ok. Vienna (where I went this weekend) will also be coming eventually. Enjoy the awesome weather in Baltimore! It's cold here again.
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
summary of what is to come
So, family, friends, distant acquaintances... it has become abundantly clear that I have fallen terribly behind on this blog. I will be (hopefully) be giving this blog a major update this afternoon. Allow me to give a brief description of my month of April (so far) so you know what you're getting into.
April 2-3: NATO Youth Summit in Strasbourg and Town Hall Meeting with President Obama
April 4-5: Weekend Trip to Munich
April 10-13: Easter Weekend/Spring Break in Nice, France
April 17: Field Trip to EuroCorps and Hochkönigsburg
April 17-19: Solo trip to Copenhagen (via overnight train!)
April 2-3: NATO Youth Summit in Strasbourg and Town Hall Meeting with President Obama
April 4-5: Weekend Trip to Munich
April 10-13: Easter Weekend/Spring Break in Nice, France
April 17: Field Trip to EuroCorps and Hochkönigsburg
April 17-19: Solo trip to Copenhagen (via overnight train!)
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Classes and Life in Freiburg
I think it's pretty important to at least briefly explain life here (again, with updated opinions of classes and people.) I'm in five classes. The first is Foreign Policy Analysis. In this class, we learn about the foreign policy of the EU, which doesn't really exist. I like the professor (he's Arndt, the one who went with us to Western Europe) and even if the class isn't hard, he's still a good professor. There is, however, one student who keeps flirting with him. This is Dena, the Egyptian girl who has a bad habit of comparing the Israel-Palestine conflict to the Holocaust. Honestly, she's not that smart, and she often doesn't understand what's appropriate. Around Arndt's birthday, she kept asking him how old he was, even though the rest of the class knew it was inappropriate and rude. She's always, literally, always late to class. And the flirting is just not ok anymore. The entire class is pretty much always at each other's throats, because we're all getting sick of each other. Luckily, Arndt is an easy grader (I got a 94 on a TERRIBLE essay, and it would have been around a 99 if it hadn't had such atrocious colloquialisms. I also got full points on an exam essay and an A on the exam. I studied for about 30 minutes.) We also only have two classes left.
The next class is German 101. I love the class itself, the teacher, and the people in the class with me. It's a good dynamic of people and the professor, Corinna, is great. We've all learned a ton of German, and she helps it to be fun too. It's definitely the best language class I've ever taken, and it's certainly my favorite class over here. It just happens to be a great bunch of people with a great professor. (So I can remember later, it includes Jon, Kyle, Soroosh, Zach, Evan, Danny, me, Kris, Shanna, Ruth, Allison, and Laurel.)
Then on Tuesdays and Thursdays I have Professor Dr. Rainer Hoffmann. He talks at his hands for an hour and a half. The class is Culture and Politics: A Quest for Civilizational Identities in a Post-National World. It ends up being the following: Hamas and Hezbollah have great social programs, Israelis bombed a mosque, Iran isn't that bad, and, most importantly, Western modernity isn't necessarily right for all nations. Basically, it's very pro-Middle East and rather anti-US and anti-West. However, it has no homework at all and it's fun to look across the table at John Forneris and just mouth stuff like "What is he talking about?"It's a ridiculous class. I've learned to stay awake through the worst class possible, sans laptop. It's a useful skill. (Also, Hoffmann cannot pronounce his r's. They come out as w's. It's really funny sometimes.)
Then I have German again, and after that is Regions of the EU with Hubertus. Hubie is the hardest grader, which basically means that he has some standards for papers. I'm currently avoiding writing his term paper (about the dissolution of Belgium) by writing these blog entries. The class as a whole is pretty interesting, even if completely irrelevant for my future. Oh well, I chose this over another class with Hoffmann. It was a good choice.
My final class is PO 350, the seminar that ties everything together. It's a joke. We love the professor, Gert, but we don't do any homework and we rarely learn anything in class. Gert always seems to make snide comments about the pope (who is from Regensburg, just like Gert) which always secretly angers Matt Shoemaker, who is the most conservative Catholic I have ever met in my life. Including Nana. Including priests and nuns. It's pretty funny to watch. One thing that we tend to do is impersonate Gert's explanation of how to pronounce Angela Merkel's name. Ahn'-gehlah Mehh(r)-kl. His name is Gehh(r)t. (I can do this for each of you. It's pretty fun to say.)
Conclusion: I'm not learning anything, except for German. But in exchange, I get to see nearly all of Europe. I call it a win.
The next class is German 101. I love the class itself, the teacher, and the people in the class with me. It's a good dynamic of people and the professor, Corinna, is great. We've all learned a ton of German, and she helps it to be fun too. It's definitely the best language class I've ever taken, and it's certainly my favorite class over here. It just happens to be a great bunch of people with a great professor. (So I can remember later, it includes Jon, Kyle, Soroosh, Zach, Evan, Danny, me, Kris, Shanna, Ruth, Allison, and Laurel.)
Then on Tuesdays and Thursdays I have Professor Dr. Rainer Hoffmann. He talks at his hands for an hour and a half. The class is Culture and Politics: A Quest for Civilizational Identities in a Post-National World. It ends up being the following: Hamas and Hezbollah have great social programs, Israelis bombed a mosque, Iran isn't that bad, and, most importantly, Western modernity isn't necessarily right for all nations. Basically, it's very pro-Middle East and rather anti-US and anti-West. However, it has no homework at all and it's fun to look across the table at John Forneris and just mouth stuff like "What is he talking about?"It's a ridiculous class. I've learned to stay awake through the worst class possible, sans laptop. It's a useful skill. (Also, Hoffmann cannot pronounce his r's. They come out as w's. It's really funny sometimes.)
Then I have German again, and after that is Regions of the EU with Hubertus. Hubie is the hardest grader, which basically means that he has some standards for papers. I'm currently avoiding writing his term paper (about the dissolution of Belgium) by writing these blog entries. The class as a whole is pretty interesting, even if completely irrelevant for my future. Oh well, I chose this over another class with Hoffmann. It was a good choice.
My final class is PO 350, the seminar that ties everything together. It's a joke. We love the professor, Gert, but we don't do any homework and we rarely learn anything in class. Gert always seems to make snide comments about the pope (who is from Regensburg, just like Gert) which always secretly angers Matt Shoemaker, who is the most conservative Catholic I have ever met in my life. Including Nana. Including priests and nuns. It's pretty funny to watch. One thing that we tend to do is impersonate Gert's explanation of how to pronounce Angela Merkel's name. Ahn'-gehlah Mehh(r)-kl. His name is Gehh(r)t. (I can do this for each of you. It's pretty fun to say.)
Conclusion: I'm not learning anything, except for German. But in exchange, I get to see nearly all of Europe. I call it a win.
update about eastern europe trip
Leaving Krakow
As we left Krakow on the Eastern Europe trip, we made a scheduled stop at Auschwitz. Now, I'm pretty sure that most of the people reading this blog have known me for a while, but just as a reminder, there was that period of my life where I was obsessed with the Holocaust. To be able to visit a concentration camp was an opportunity that I am really glad that the program gave me. Auschwitz was really an intense experience. I think it most hit me first when we were in a room about children and there was someone who looked like someone I had gone to high school with, and then it especially hit me when we went through the only remaining crematorium. It was really sad. I don't think I'll ever go to another concentration camp unless it is the difference between someone going and not going. It's not something I want to experience again, but it's something you need to do.
And then after leaving Auschwitz for the 7 hour drive to Prague, the program leaders decided to put on a movie, but the only movie that the academic leader deemed "appropriate" was The Kite Runner. Just a hint, a movie that is a killer emotionally is not a good choice after visiting a concentration camp. I cried 8 times during this movie, a girl behind me was sobbing for a good five minutes after the movie and had to call her mom, and I'm pretty sure the guy in front of me cried too. Ugh, it was the most emotionally draining day of my life.
After we finally arrived in Prague, I decided that I pretty much had to go out or else I might be in a funk for the rest of the trip. I join a group of about 8 people and we go to a place called Beer Factory. You might think that this would be classy, a brewery maybe. It's not. There are taps on the tables, you get a mug and keep refilling it, and you race among tables to see who can drink the most. We also played speed quarters, a drinking game where you try to bounce a coin into the small cup in front of you. There's about one cup/coin pair for every other person, and you try to catch up to the person in front of you. Turns out, I'm pretty good at this game, so I don't have to drink much. Still, I probably have a beer or two.
The next day are our academic sessions in Prague, which I don't really remember anymore. During one of the breaks, we went to our academic lunch with our professor Gert (it was me, Gert, my friend Alison, Daria, and the guy Jon, who I've mentioned before and is really not as bad one-on-one, Alison and he get along well). We somehow go to this really trippy restaurant with pastel spray-painted walls, mermaid paintings, and stalactites growing from the ceiling. I have pictures, which you will all see when I have a working computer again.
That evening, I met a girl from WM for dinner!! It was awesome to see someone that I've known for more than 3 months. We went to a cafe that she frequents, which was cool. It was a pretty chill dinner. After she dropped me back off at the hotel, our academic leader (the man in charge of academics for all of IES Freiburg) takes us all out for a beer on him so he can watch a soccer match between SC Freiburg and another team, which he really wants to see. (If he doesn't have enough people with him, they won't play it, and he realizes he can only bribe us with alcohol.) Freiburg loses, and I spend a relatively quiet night at home after the game. It is when I return that I realize that my computer isn't working. I don't worry about it and go to bed.
The next day is our free day in Prague, and of course, it's raining. It even snowed in Krakow. We have our city tour in the morning (for which I forget my camera. Go me. I'm stealing pictures.) It's a cool city, we see the clock in the center of town that has dancing figurines every hour. We also see the main squares of Prague--there are three, I think. We also cross over the famous bridge, the Charles Bridge, and see all the shopping on it. After the tour ends, I decide to eat at the same place at which we ate our academic lunch the day before. It's pretty crucial to introduce this place to as many people as possible.
After lunch, we go souvenir shopping, both on the bridge and in the stores around it. Crystal is a big thing here; I bought something small for one of you. I also got a bottle opener that just says "Praha," which seems appropriate, as this city seems to be all about the beer. I also got a tshirt that says "Czech me out," which I'm only a little bit ashamed of.
We're planning to go out that night, so I take a shower first. As it turns out, I flood not only the bathroom, but also the entire room AND a little bit of the hallway. Nothing of mine is ruined, but Rachel (my roommate) somehow thought it was a good idea to bring with her an autographed book, and that got wet. Sorry. Autographed books belong safely on shelves, not in the bottoms of backpacks in hotel rooms in the Czech Republic. We are moved to another room.
That night, we go back to Beer Factory in a huge contingent. A bunch of the guys have already been there a while, but our table wins the drinking contest, and that's all that matters. I drink some, but don't dance and make a fool out of myself, unlike a few people. One guy left his jacket there, which was really sad because I'm pretty sure it had his wallet in it.
(While we were in Prague, the Czech government received a vote of no confidence and dissolved. Who can say they were in a country while their government collapsed?)
The next morning we leave for Bratislava. This is the capital of Slovakia, and it is just across the border from Vienna. When we finally arrive, we have about one hour to explore and eat before our meeting. I eat McDonald's (it's fast and cheap, don't judge) and explore a bit. I find this cool church, even if it isn't the one I'm actually looking for. The two stores I go to are a strange combination. The first was an African store, which seemed quite out of place in this small city. I bought a keychain there. The second one was this designer-looking shop; here I bought two buttons.
After this quick break, we had our sessions, uneventful as usual. Afterwards we had a short break for dinner where we were late for the bus out of Bratislava, but luckily the professors and staff were later than we were so it wasn't a big deal. There was definitely getting lost and running involved. I'm still not sure how it happened. Then we took the bus to Budapest.
While all of the hotels that we've stayed at so far have had free computers in the lobby, the one in Budapest doesn't, which doesn't make me a happy camper. In Budapest, we have a few sessions, as we need excuses to go to all of these cities. Again, I don't remember them, except for the fact that they were at the Hungarian Parliament, which is gorgeous. Absolutely amazing. Now, it's especially cool that we're at the Hungarian Parliament today (Thursday March 26) because this is the last day that the parliament can set the agenda to include a potential vote of no confidence. This means that we could be there the day they set it in motion for the government to collapse. Sadly, it remained off the agenda and the government survived.
The first day that we're there, after the sessions, I go with Andrew, Matthew, and this girl Sarah to lunch, the cathedral, and then to explore the castle. We get lunch at California Coffee Company, where I eat a tuna bagel, which turns out to be a poor choice later. Oh well. And then we go to the cathedral. It's gorgeous, as cathedrals tend to be, and they're selling really cheap rosaries out front. I buy a few. After this, we quickly go back to the hotel to change and we head to the castle. You can get a great view of the city from the castle (pictures are coming once I return to the US). We went to both the Royal Palace and the Fisherman's Bastion. We also stopped at a market, which was also cool. For Buschie and Pappy, it was sort of like a Christkindlmarkt, except it's warmer out. Sarah bought an approximately 5 euro pashmina scarf and we continued on.
That night, we cruised along the Danube, which is pretty sweet. It's gorgeous, we get champagne, and we get to see the city at night. Jon decided at the end of the cruise to try to jump over a railing, during which he sprained his wrist, and, as we later learned, fractured his elbow. It's then referred to as "Groves-ing" for the rest of the trip. (his last name) We didn't realize how injured he was for a while.
The next day we have a short history lesson on Hungary (they used to have a lot more power and they always seem to be or to ally with the bad guys) and then a trip to the House of Terror, about the time of the Nazis and the Soviets. I speed through the museum, as it was sprung on us as mandatory that morning and I don't want to go. After the museum, I get lunch with Rachel, Alison, and Ray at this amazing pizza place. It was so good. And it was really cheap. It was a Friday, so it's good to eat good cheap meatless food.
After the pizza I go shopping all day. It's a lot of fun, as stuff is really cheap. We revisit the market that I went to yesterday, and then Alison, Ray, and I go to the big, indoor market. This is where I find the best souvenirs of all. I found a secret box. Some of you might not understand the gravity of that statement. The summer before (maybe after, my dad remembers) fifth grade, my best friend, Antonette Amato, went to Germany for a vacation. While she was there, she got this "secret box" and it was the coolest thing ever. It had a secret order of steps to complete in order to open it, and it was soooo cooooool. (Only excessive vowels can truly tell how cool it was.) Christmas 1998, I gave Antonette a Furby (the 'it' toy of the year) and she gave me her secret box. It was the best Christmas ever. Think Gift of the Magi, but no one cuts their hair. And I found a secret box all of my own!!! When I saw it, I immediately knew what it was and let our a really loud gasp. I ended up buying it and several other nice souvenirs at the same stand for what ended up being a really good deal, overall. And then I bought myself a cheap pashmina scarf. It was burgundy/maroon.
(The next week, I wore the burgundy/maroon scarf with my grey jacket. I realized around dinner that I was wearing maroon and grey together and I was happy about it. I almost got sick. I hated those colors SO MUCH in grade school. I thought they were so ugly. They're some of my favorite colors now.)
That night we have a nice dinner out on IES's tab, but of course, it's a Friday, so my dinner is like rice in a cream sauce, salad, dessert, and two glasses of wine. It's certainly not as cool as our dinner in Paris but it's still pretty nice. Afterwards, we go out (and discuss going to private schools, as many of us have) and then we go back to watch Idiocracy. I manage to leave before I fall asleep (a real accomplishment for me).
The next day, we fly home to Stuttgart, where our beloved bus driver picks us up, even though it's the middle of a Saturday and he'd much rather be at home (which he told us flat out, lol.) I promptly do nothing for the rest of the weekend except go to church.
As we left Krakow on the Eastern Europe trip, we made a scheduled stop at Auschwitz. Now, I'm pretty sure that most of the people reading this blog have known me for a while, but just as a reminder, there was that period of my life where I was obsessed with the Holocaust. To be able to visit a concentration camp was an opportunity that I am really glad that the program gave me. Auschwitz was really an intense experience. I think it most hit me first when we were in a room about children and there was someone who looked like someone I had gone to high school with, and then it especially hit me when we went through the only remaining crematorium. It was really sad. I don't think I'll ever go to another concentration camp unless it is the difference between someone going and not going. It's not something I want to experience again, but it's something you need to do.
And then after leaving Auschwitz for the 7 hour drive to Prague, the program leaders decided to put on a movie, but the only movie that the academic leader deemed "appropriate" was The Kite Runner. Just a hint, a movie that is a killer emotionally is not a good choice after visiting a concentration camp. I cried 8 times during this movie, a girl behind me was sobbing for a good five minutes after the movie and had to call her mom, and I'm pretty sure the guy in front of me cried too. Ugh, it was the most emotionally draining day of my life.
After we finally arrived in Prague, I decided that I pretty much had to go out or else I might be in a funk for the rest of the trip. I join a group of about 8 people and we go to a place called Beer Factory. You might think that this would be classy, a brewery maybe. It's not. There are taps on the tables, you get a mug and keep refilling it, and you race among tables to see who can drink the most. We also played speed quarters, a drinking game where you try to bounce a coin into the small cup in front of you. There's about one cup/coin pair for every other person, and you try to catch up to the person in front of you. Turns out, I'm pretty good at this game, so I don't have to drink much. Still, I probably have a beer or two.
The next day are our academic sessions in Prague, which I don't really remember anymore. During one of the breaks, we went to our academic lunch with our professor Gert (it was me, Gert, my friend Alison, Daria, and the guy Jon, who I've mentioned before and is really not as bad one-on-one, Alison and he get along well). We somehow go to this really trippy restaurant with pastel spray-painted walls, mermaid paintings, and stalactites growing from the ceiling. I have pictures, which you will all see when I have a working computer again.
That evening, I met a girl from WM for dinner!! It was awesome to see someone that I've known for more than 3 months. We went to a cafe that she frequents, which was cool. It was a pretty chill dinner. After she dropped me back off at the hotel, our academic leader (the man in charge of academics for all of IES Freiburg) takes us all out for a beer on him so he can watch a soccer match between SC Freiburg and another team, which he really wants to see. (If he doesn't have enough people with him, they won't play it, and he realizes he can only bribe us with alcohol.) Freiburg loses, and I spend a relatively quiet night at home after the game. It is when I return that I realize that my computer isn't working. I don't worry about it and go to bed.
The next day is our free day in Prague, and of course, it's raining. It even snowed in Krakow. We have our city tour in the morning (for which I forget my camera. Go me. I'm stealing pictures.) It's a cool city, we see the clock in the center of town that has dancing figurines every hour. We also see the main squares of Prague--there are three, I think. We also cross over the famous bridge, the Charles Bridge, and see all the shopping on it. After the tour ends, I decide to eat at the same place at which we ate our academic lunch the day before. It's pretty crucial to introduce this place to as many people as possible.
After lunch, we go souvenir shopping, both on the bridge and in the stores around it. Crystal is a big thing here; I bought something small for one of you. I also got a bottle opener that just says "Praha," which seems appropriate, as this city seems to be all about the beer. I also got a tshirt that says "Czech me out," which I'm only a little bit ashamed of.
We're planning to go out that night, so I take a shower first. As it turns out, I flood not only the bathroom, but also the entire room AND a little bit of the hallway. Nothing of mine is ruined, but Rachel (my roommate) somehow thought it was a good idea to bring with her an autographed book, and that got wet. Sorry. Autographed books belong safely on shelves, not in the bottoms of backpacks in hotel rooms in the Czech Republic. We are moved to another room.
That night, we go back to Beer Factory in a huge contingent. A bunch of the guys have already been there a while, but our table wins the drinking contest, and that's all that matters. I drink some, but don't dance and make a fool out of myself, unlike a few people. One guy left his jacket there, which was really sad because I'm pretty sure it had his wallet in it.
(While we were in Prague, the Czech government received a vote of no confidence and dissolved. Who can say they were in a country while their government collapsed?)
The next morning we leave for Bratislava. This is the capital of Slovakia, and it is just across the border from Vienna. When we finally arrive, we have about one hour to explore and eat before our meeting. I eat McDonald's (it's fast and cheap, don't judge) and explore a bit. I find this cool church, even if it isn't the one I'm actually looking for. The two stores I go to are a strange combination. The first was an African store, which seemed quite out of place in this small city. I bought a keychain there. The second one was this designer-looking shop; here I bought two buttons.
After this quick break, we had our sessions, uneventful as usual. Afterwards we had a short break for dinner where we were late for the bus out of Bratislava, but luckily the professors and staff were later than we were so it wasn't a big deal. There was definitely getting lost and running involved. I'm still not sure how it happened. Then we took the bus to Budapest.
While all of the hotels that we've stayed at so far have had free computers in the lobby, the one in Budapest doesn't, which doesn't make me a happy camper. In Budapest, we have a few sessions, as we need excuses to go to all of these cities. Again, I don't remember them, except for the fact that they were at the Hungarian Parliament, which is gorgeous. Absolutely amazing. Now, it's especially cool that we're at the Hungarian Parliament today (Thursday March 26) because this is the last day that the parliament can set the agenda to include a potential vote of no confidence. This means that we could be there the day they set it in motion for the government to collapse. Sadly, it remained off the agenda and the government survived.
The first day that we're there, after the sessions, I go with Andrew, Matthew, and this girl Sarah to lunch, the cathedral, and then to explore the castle. We get lunch at California Coffee Company, where I eat a tuna bagel, which turns out to be a poor choice later. Oh well. And then we go to the cathedral. It's gorgeous, as cathedrals tend to be, and they're selling really cheap rosaries out front. I buy a few. After this, we quickly go back to the hotel to change and we head to the castle. You can get a great view of the city from the castle (pictures are coming once I return to the US). We went to both the Royal Palace and the Fisherman's Bastion. We also stopped at a market, which was also cool. For Buschie and Pappy, it was sort of like a Christkindlmarkt, except it's warmer out. Sarah bought an approximately 5 euro pashmina scarf and we continued on.
That night, we cruised along the Danube, which is pretty sweet. It's gorgeous, we get champagne, and we get to see the city at night. Jon decided at the end of the cruise to try to jump over a railing, during which he sprained his wrist, and, as we later learned, fractured his elbow. It's then referred to as "Groves-ing" for the rest of the trip. (his last name) We didn't realize how injured he was for a while.
The next day we have a short history lesson on Hungary (they used to have a lot more power and they always seem to be or to ally with the bad guys) and then a trip to the House of Terror, about the time of the Nazis and the Soviets. I speed through the museum, as it was sprung on us as mandatory that morning and I don't want to go. After the museum, I get lunch with Rachel, Alison, and Ray at this amazing pizza place. It was so good. And it was really cheap. It was a Friday, so it's good to eat good cheap meatless food.
After the pizza I go shopping all day. It's a lot of fun, as stuff is really cheap. We revisit the market that I went to yesterday, and then Alison, Ray, and I go to the big, indoor market. This is where I find the best souvenirs of all. I found a secret box. Some of you might not understand the gravity of that statement. The summer before (maybe after, my dad remembers) fifth grade, my best friend, Antonette Amato, went to Germany for a vacation. While she was there, she got this "secret box" and it was the coolest thing ever. It had a secret order of steps to complete in order to open it, and it was soooo cooooool. (Only excessive vowels can truly tell how cool it was.) Christmas 1998, I gave Antonette a Furby (the 'it' toy of the year) and she gave me her secret box. It was the best Christmas ever. Think Gift of the Magi, but no one cuts their hair. And I found a secret box all of my own!!! When I saw it, I immediately knew what it was and let our a really loud gasp. I ended up buying it and several other nice souvenirs at the same stand for what ended up being a really good deal, overall. And then I bought myself a cheap pashmina scarf. It was burgundy/maroon.
(The next week, I wore the burgundy/maroon scarf with my grey jacket. I realized around dinner that I was wearing maroon and grey together and I was happy about it. I almost got sick. I hated those colors SO MUCH in grade school. I thought they were so ugly. They're some of my favorite colors now.)
That night we have a nice dinner out on IES's tab, but of course, it's a Friday, so my dinner is like rice in a cream sauce, salad, dessert, and two glasses of wine. It's certainly not as cool as our dinner in Paris but it's still pretty nice. Afterwards, we go out (and discuss going to private schools, as many of us have) and then we go back to watch Idiocracy. I manage to leave before I fall asleep (a real accomplishment for me).
The next day, we fly home to Stuttgart, where our beloved bus driver picks us up, even though it's the middle of a Saturday and he'd much rather be at home (which he told us flat out, lol.) I promptly do nothing for the rest of the weekend except go to church.
Monday, April 6, 2009
this is what happens when computers break
Hello, all blog followers. I realize I've been especially terrible about posting updates recently. My laptop broke while I was in the Prague. I tried to take it to Basel to get it fixed, but the repair center was in fact non-existent. So, I will attempt to give a brief run-down of my trip to Central Europe (Krakow, Poland; Prague, Czech Republic; Bratislava, Slovakia; and Budapest, Hungary).
So we flew out for Krakow on Friday, March 20. We took a bus (as we generally do) to Stuttgart and then flew out of the tiny airport there to Katowice. In case anyone ever tries to tell you that Katowice is the same as Krakow, or is German for Krakow, they're lying to you. It's a town an hour away from Krakow. When we arrived, it was grey and cold, which felt strangely appropriate for a former member of the Warsaw Pact.
The first night that we were there we went downtown to eat dinner, since none of us had eaten in a while. We went in a group including Daria, Alison, Matt Shoemaker, Kyle, Ray, me, Brett, and Rachel (that's more for my benefit than for yours). We were starving, so we decided to go to a tacky tacky restaurant called Sioux, themed after the American Midwest during the 19th century. I ate fried cheese and cheese bread, since it was a Friday. The waiters wore costumes and the walls had saddles on them, among other things.
The only full day we were in Krakow, we went to several sessions, from which all I remember is the presenter arguing fervently for the proposed missile defense shield. (I'm actually writing a paper on that right now, if you want to know more about it, I can post the document. I'm putting actual effort into it, a big change.) Then we bought souvenirs, including a cane that I bought for Buschie or Pappy (whomever can use it, I bought it to replace the carved cane that Pappy lost). Since I had bought the cane during the beginning of the day, I had to carry it around with me for the entire tour. I got a lot of flak for it.
The tour was awesome. (Although, for the record, it's still cold in Krakow in late March.) I got to see the Basilica (where I attended Mass that evening... more on that later), where Pope John Paul II said Mass and lived while he was the archbishop of Krakow, and the castle. Seeing where JPII lived and preached was awesome. There was definitely a lot of pride in him, even after his death. The castle, too, was cool, as castles often are. There's a metal sculpture of the dragon that Krak had to defeat to defend the city: it has seven heads and breathes fire every five minutes.
While I was there, I ate traditional Polish food twice. I got pierogies once, and they were delicious. Grr... I forget the second meal. But the subject of food should be covered, because it relates to the subject of money. Even though not all countries are eligible to use the euro, it's certainly a pain in the butt to exchange money and remember exchange rates. Poland uses the zloty, and the exchange rate is 1 euro to 4.4 zloty, which doesn't make for simple math. The exchange rate, the question of tipping, and the fact that ATMs only dispense big bills continued to plague us throughout our trip.
Mass in Polish is much, much worse than Mass in German. I can pick up some German, and I'm becoming familiar with some German words and prayers. Polish is another world. Without my missal, I would be completely out of luck. The church we went to was gorgeous though. If freezing.
Alright, I need to get back to work on my paper, as I'll need to leave the computer lab in an hour. I'll try to post more tomorrow with stories of Prague.
So we flew out for Krakow on Friday, March 20. We took a bus (as we generally do) to Stuttgart and then flew out of the tiny airport there to Katowice. In case anyone ever tries to tell you that Katowice is the same as Krakow, or is German for Krakow, they're lying to you. It's a town an hour away from Krakow. When we arrived, it was grey and cold, which felt strangely appropriate for a former member of the Warsaw Pact.
The first night that we were there we went downtown to eat dinner, since none of us had eaten in a while. We went in a group including Daria, Alison, Matt Shoemaker, Kyle, Ray, me, Brett, and Rachel (that's more for my benefit than for yours). We were starving, so we decided to go to a tacky tacky restaurant called Sioux, themed after the American Midwest during the 19th century. I ate fried cheese and cheese bread, since it was a Friday. The waiters wore costumes and the walls had saddles on them, among other things.
The only full day we were in Krakow, we went to several sessions, from which all I remember is the presenter arguing fervently for the proposed missile defense shield. (I'm actually writing a paper on that right now, if you want to know more about it, I can post the document. I'm putting actual effort into it, a big change.) Then we bought souvenirs, including a cane that I bought for Buschie or Pappy (whomever can use it, I bought it to replace the carved cane that Pappy lost). Since I had bought the cane during the beginning of the day, I had to carry it around with me for the entire tour. I got a lot of flak for it.
The tour was awesome. (Although, for the record, it's still cold in Krakow in late March.) I got to see the Basilica (where I attended Mass that evening... more on that later), where Pope John Paul II said Mass and lived while he was the archbishop of Krakow, and the castle. Seeing where JPII lived and preached was awesome. There was definitely a lot of pride in him, even after his death. The castle, too, was cool, as castles often are. There's a metal sculpture of the dragon that Krak had to defeat to defend the city: it has seven heads and breathes fire every five minutes.
While I was there, I ate traditional Polish food twice. I got pierogies once, and they were delicious. Grr... I forget the second meal. But the subject of food should be covered, because it relates to the subject of money. Even though not all countries are eligible to use the euro, it's certainly a pain in the butt to exchange money and remember exchange rates. Poland uses the zloty, and the exchange rate is 1 euro to 4.4 zloty, which doesn't make for simple math. The exchange rate, the question of tipping, and the fact that ATMs only dispense big bills continued to plague us throughout our trip.
Mass in Polish is much, much worse than Mass in German. I can pick up some German, and I'm becoming familiar with some German words and prayers. Polish is another world. Without my missal, I would be completely out of luck. The church we went to was gorgeous though. If freezing.
Alright, I need to get back to work on my paper, as I'll need to leave the computer lab in an hour. I'll try to post more tomorrow with stories of Prague.
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Meg's visit and the beginning of the pictures
The wine-tasting was pretty cool--for whatever reason, I didn't like any of the red wine. At first I thought maybe I just wasn't a red wine person, but then I recalled one night at WM where I tried about 7 different red wines and liked them all. Maybe it was just the mood I was in. I certainly liked the white wines. We also tried ice wine, which you can look up here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ice_wine. It was super, super sweet. It was good to try but I don't think I'd like to drink it in any large quantity.
And when I got back from the wineyard, Meg was here!! To sum up what we did, we went to Staufen (and the castle there, which I didn't climb up to when we hiked here the first time), another soccer game in Freiburg (which Freiburg won in the 87th minute!), Basel twice (where I found a store that sells brownie mix, mac & cheese, and frosting, as well as a Domino's!!), and otherwise just chilled around Freiburg. On Thursday, we had a class field trip to Strasbourg, France. For whatever reason, I was just not that excited, but it was a cool little city. Had I been in a better mood, I think I would have really liked it. We got to watch part of a session of the European Parliament, which I really enjoyed as well.
Now I'm working on uploading pictures to facebook. I'm about a month and a half behind. It's taking forever and a day, so I'm afraid that for now you'll have to make do with the first soccer match and part of the trip to Tallinn.
Soccer match #1: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2010124&id=1222890044&l=6384a175dc
Tallinn, Estonia: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2010127&id=1222890044&l=6e04ec246f
And when I got back from the wineyard, Meg was here!! To sum up what we did, we went to Staufen (and the castle there, which I didn't climb up to when we hiked here the first time), another soccer game in Freiburg (which Freiburg won in the 87th minute!), Basel twice (where I found a store that sells brownie mix, mac & cheese, and frosting, as well as a Domino's!!), and otherwise just chilled around Freiburg. On Thursday, we had a class field trip to Strasbourg, France. For whatever reason, I was just not that excited, but it was a cool little city. Had I been in a better mood, I think I would have really liked it. We got to watch part of a session of the European Parliament, which I really enjoyed as well.
Now I'm working on uploading pictures to facebook. I'm about a month and a half behind. It's taking forever and a day, so I'm afraid that for now you'll have to make do with the first soccer match and part of the trip to Tallinn.
Soccer match #1: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2010124&id=1222890044&l=6384a175dc
Tallinn, Estonia: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2010127&id=1222890044&l=6e04ec246f
Thursday, March 5, 2009
classes, brief update
I'm trying to get into the habit of updating this regularly, since I've been so bad about it for the past two months. Let's just talk about how worthless today's classes were. The first class, culture and politics, Hoffmann, the crazy professor, talked at us for an hour and a half, which is standard. In German we had SOAR, where we talk about how we're adjusting to the program. We went to a cafe and talked for an hour. In Regions of the EU, we watched Goodbye, Lenin. It took me about halfway through the movie to realize that I'd seen it before. It was certainly good, though. Not altogether academic. And in PO350, the joke class, the professor asked us to get into groups of four and discuss the reading for the day, then he left the room. The class then realized that no one had done the reading. We confessed when he returned, and he was ok with it. Oh, study abroad.
Tomorrow I'm going to a vineyard/wine tasting for a field trip. I'm pretty excited about it. AND MEG'S COMING IN!!! I hope she gets here ok.
Tomorrow I'm going to a vineyard/wine tasting for a field trip. I'm pretty excited about it. AND MEG'S COMING IN!!! I hope she gets here ok.
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