With four weeks left in my European adventure I can truly say that it has been a wild ride thus far. The past couple of weeks have flown by. I feel as though I am on the verge of getting acquainted with the city of Florence but there is something holding me back. It has taken much longer to become comfortable in my skin here than it did in London and I truly think the only thing preventing me from loving Florence as much as London is the language barrier.
It is extremely hard for me to love the city when I cannot hold meaningful conversations with any of its inhabitants. I don't feel like I have tapped the roots of the city as deeply as I did in London because when I am out in the city trying to assimilate all I can make are visual judgments of things. I can look at things and ponder them as much as I want but without adequate time, or admittedly the energy or desire, to learn the language I will never understand what makes Florence tick to the same extent as I did in London. London was so great. I was able to go to Speaker's Corner and hold political discussions with people. I could go out at night to pubs and other places and meet people and learn from them. Because I was able to hold these conversations and establish these relationships I felt like I truly belonged in London while I was there. Meanwhile, in Florence, I am living with a family who is able to speak only very broken English. They feed me two meals a day and we have had many discussions in the month or so I have been living with them but they have been nothing deep or of consequence because the language barrier will not allow it. As a result the only things I have learned about Florence has been from what I have read and what I have seen, which are shallow at best.
I would love to be able to report back that I love the city and I don't ever want to leave or return to the United States but it is just not the case. I realize that the experiences I am having will last a lifetime. I also realize that I probably won't ever be able to do anything like this again, especially to this extent. For these reasons I am taking advantage of everything I can while I can and trust me the time I have remaining will not be going to waste. I just can't help but get excited about the prospect of returning to the comfort of my own culture. Unfamiliarity really starts to wear on you when the line between discomfort and comfort becomes blurred. It really hits home when you realize that you are getting used to discomfort. It is easy to become bitter about it. They call it culture shock and I think a lot of people in my group are suffering from it. But my feelings about it are different. In the end, I truly believe that the fact that my tolerance for discomfort has risen dramatically may be the greatest gift that this trip gives me. I consider it a positive when you get lost in a major metropolis and your heart doesn’t even skip a beat. The ability to remain calm under pressure or in uncomfortable situations is what traveling abroad is truly good for. Yeah, I can say I have seen the changing of the guards in London and eaten Gelato on the Arno in Florence but thousands of tourists do these things everyday. What I crave from Florence is what I got in London. The added bonus of, not just becoming comfortable with its discomfort because that’s a given in any abroad experience, but to see it from all angles and to become comfortable with its unique intricacies. We will see what the remaining 4 weeks bring. Stay posted!
Coming Soon:
My beach vacation in Sardinia!
Wine tasting in the Chianti Vineyards...
Florentine Opera Adventures
Sunday, April 27, 2008
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
Bella Figura: Beauty vs. Efficiency
So, one of our classes is designed to disect the Italian way of life and analyze every aspect of it. As a result, I find myself judging every encounter I have through the lens that class has provided me. At first it seems a little bit shallow but I then I remember; they are doing the same thing to me. It is a part of the Italian way to make a judgement about a person in even as short of an encounter as passing someone on the street. It is hard to believe (and scary) that every Italian that I have passed walking around Florence thus far has come to some sort of conclusion about who I must be. What makes it even more difficult is that none of us have the language to provide a good first impression (which is particularily difficult for a group of nerds like us who consistently use language to our advantage).
Another reason we don't fit in here (as well as in London) is that Italians are so damn stylish! After travelling around Europe for 10 weeks and washing our clothes somewhat sparingly you can imagine what kind of state we must be in. I realize, through my class, that Italians are not all about Gucci and Versace but the fact that nobody wheres jeans or tennis shoes does not bode well for us at this point in our European endevor. It is a struggle...
The class we are taking is called Bella Figura (translated literally it means: to make a good figure). It has to do with a philosophy that permeates all of Italian culture. It is the idea that one must make good first impressions, be nonchalant, and not be superficial. The idea about not being superficial is one that we encounter a lot. Italian salespeople are very very different from American. American salespeople are taught very early on in their careers to put a smile on their face and that "the customer is always right"; this is not the case for Italians. They will talk on their cell phone, straight up ignore you and they are not afraid to act irritated if you are being a tedious customer (for example if you do not speak Italian they are particularily prone to becoming irritated in most instances).
From my perspective the way Italians act could possibly be contributing the their lacking in economic terms. It may seem like a quick judgement but the fact that they are more concerned about beauty than efficiency can only work against them. Making a good impression is important but it takes more than that in the long run. An example that I heard of was an Italian flight attendent being one of the most attractive women anyone has ever seen but she never once stopped to see if the customers needed help. Some of the customers were even afraid to interupt her as she walked down the aisle because it looked like she was on a catwalk modeling her uniform. This is exactly what we are learning about. The fact that the airline hired that flight attendent over all of the other applicants is an Italian signature. They are more concerned about the beauty of their flight attendents, than in how effective they will be at their job. This is a philosophy that seems to be very pervasive in Italian culture and I have been very aware of it since my arrival.
I am enjoying myself very much here and, possibly lucky for me, my family does not fit into the mold of the stereotypical Italian. My initial observation is that it may be better to vacation in Italia than live in it. That way you are here just long enough before the good firsts impression wears off and Bella Figura becomes utterly obvious.
Judgementally Yours (my class made me act this way!),
Lee
Another reason we don't fit in here (as well as in London) is that Italians are so damn stylish! After travelling around Europe for 10 weeks and washing our clothes somewhat sparingly you can imagine what kind of state we must be in. I realize, through my class, that Italians are not all about Gucci and Versace but the fact that nobody wheres jeans or tennis shoes does not bode well for us at this point in our European endevor. It is a struggle...
The class we are taking is called Bella Figura (translated literally it means: to make a good figure). It has to do with a philosophy that permeates all of Italian culture. It is the idea that one must make good first impressions, be nonchalant, and not be superficial. The idea about not being superficial is one that we encounter a lot. Italian salespeople are very very different from American. American salespeople are taught very early on in their careers to put a smile on their face and that "the customer is always right"; this is not the case for Italians. They will talk on their cell phone, straight up ignore you and they are not afraid to act irritated if you are being a tedious customer (for example if you do not speak Italian they are particularily prone to becoming irritated in most instances).
From my perspective the way Italians act could possibly be contributing the their lacking in economic terms. It may seem like a quick judgement but the fact that they are more concerned about beauty than efficiency can only work against them. Making a good impression is important but it takes more than that in the long run. An example that I heard of was an Italian flight attendent being one of the most attractive women anyone has ever seen but she never once stopped to see if the customers needed help. Some of the customers were even afraid to interupt her as she walked down the aisle because it looked like she was on a catwalk modeling her uniform. This is exactly what we are learning about. The fact that the airline hired that flight attendent over all of the other applicants is an Italian signature. They are more concerned about the beauty of their flight attendents, than in how effective they will be at their job. This is a philosophy that seems to be very pervasive in Italian culture and I have been very aware of it since my arrival.
I am enjoying myself very much here and, possibly lucky for me, my family does not fit into the mold of the stereotypical Italian. My initial observation is that it may be better to vacation in Italia than live in it. That way you are here just long enough before the good firsts impression wears off and Bella Figura becomes utterly obvious.
Judgementally Yours (my class made me act this way!),
Lee
Friday, April 4, 2008
Buona Sera Florence
Hello Fans...
Well, I am officially moved into my new residence in Florence. I live with the lovely Mercuri family in a 3 bedroom apartment on the 6th and top floor of an apartment building on the outskirts of the city. I live with my friend from Ripon, Ben Yust, in a decent sized bedroom with a balcony that overlooks the city of Florence and the mountians in the background. We have Breakfast and Dinner prepared for us by Nadie Mercuri everyday. Food is a central component to family life in Florence and as result they are very particular about what they eat. Breakfast is always bread with jam, shortbread cookies, and Caffe con Latte (espresso with hot milk). Dinner is a spectacular event. It is always 3 courses. The first is a pasta dish. We have had home made pesto on penne, a spaghetti dish, and another more fresh tomato and cilantro dish; all were were very delicious. The second course is a vegetable (peas with ham in them, salad etc...) and some sort of protein (chicken with a basil and olive oil marinade, Chicken Parmesian, and Eggplant Parmesian). All of it is prepared from scratch and is served with a bottle of wine. In short...I can't believe I am going to be living here for the next 8 weeks. It is like realising you are going to live in a 4-star hotel for two months...amazing!
Florence is a beautiful city. There is so much culture and history that they don't know what to do with it all in such small area. It seems like they have as much history and culture as all of London and they are about a 10th the size. It should be an interesting time here...
Sorry for the short post but there is a 10 person line behind me to use the computer (probably for more important things) and I would use my computer but I am pretty sure that is has given up at life.
Much Love!
Lee
Well, I am officially moved into my new residence in Florence. I live with the lovely Mercuri family in a 3 bedroom apartment on the 6th and top floor of an apartment building on the outskirts of the city. I live with my friend from Ripon, Ben Yust, in a decent sized bedroom with a balcony that overlooks the city of Florence and the mountians in the background. We have Breakfast and Dinner prepared for us by Nadie Mercuri everyday. Food is a central component to family life in Florence and as result they are very particular about what they eat. Breakfast is always bread with jam, shortbread cookies, and Caffe con Latte (espresso with hot milk). Dinner is a spectacular event. It is always 3 courses. The first is a pasta dish. We have had home made pesto on penne, a spaghetti dish, and another more fresh tomato and cilantro dish; all were were very delicious. The second course is a vegetable (peas with ham in them, salad etc...) and some sort of protein (chicken with a basil and olive oil marinade, Chicken Parmesian, and Eggplant Parmesian). All of it is prepared from scratch and is served with a bottle of wine. In short...I can't believe I am going to be living here for the next 8 weeks. It is like realising you are going to live in a 4-star hotel for two months...amazing!
Florence is a beautiful city. There is so much culture and history that they don't know what to do with it all in such small area. It seems like they have as much history and culture as all of London and they are about a 10th the size. It should be an interesting time here...
Sorry for the short post but there is a 10 person line behind me to use the computer (probably for more important things) and I would use my computer but I am pretty sure that is has given up at life.
Much Love!
Lee
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Goodbye London, Hello Real Europe...
Since my last post I have travelled from London to Amsterdam, then Amsterdam to Barcelona. Amsterdam was a lot of fun. It ended up being really really expensive for me though. We spent the first night in a nice Hotel near the airport which was made nicer by the fact that our room was upgraded. The first night we just went into town to walk around and get a feel for the city. We were all really tired from the day of travelling (especially because I was lugging around a 50+ pound duffle bag) so we called it an early night. The next morning we moved from our hotel to our hostel (still lugging my massive bag). The hostel we stayed at was called Flying Pig Beach Hostel. It was really an awesome place. During the warm months it is really really busy because it is right on the Atlantic so everybody comes to surf and windsurf. When we were there is was frigidly cold and snowing so there weren't a lot of beach goers there. We went to the Van Gogh Museum, the Anne Frank House, Leiden (a cool city outside of town, but still not as far as our hostel), and visited the infamous Red Light District. It was a very fun vacation and the Dutch were extremely friendly people, all of whom knew English which made it a lot easier.
We woke up at 6 a.m. in Amsterdam on Weds. and were out the door by 6:30 to catch a bus. Again, I lugged my bag across the city to the airport and then across Barcelona to our hostel. Our hostel is literally right on the beach in Barcelona. It is beautiful, but not particularly warm, so it is just slightly less enjoyable. Barcelona has been very nice so far. I spent too much money in Amsterdam and now I have to be very cheap as a result. I don't really have very many plans for Barcelona other than relaxing on or around the beach and going into the city center a couple of times. Today, everybody else decided to go to the Olympic Park but I am coming down with a cold and really didn't feel well enough to go. It has been alright though...I just threw on my iPod and started walking around near the Hostel. Now I am sitting in the bar looking out at the ocean and the palm trees and listening to more music. What a change of pace from the perpetual hustle and bustle of London!
It is strange not being in London anymore and to be frank, I miss it. I got really comfortable in Earl's Court and greater London and grew to like it a lot. It will be interesting to see how Florence will compare. I think the language barrier might put an unfair bias on London being my favorite but I am going to do my best to appreciate Florence and all of the places I am visiting for that matter because I know that each one of them has many qualities. It is hard to beat the diversity of London but if more of these nice beaches and palm trees keep popping up London might find itself some competition!
We woke up at 6 a.m. in Amsterdam on Weds. and were out the door by 6:30 to catch a bus. Again, I lugged my bag across the city to the airport and then across Barcelona to our hostel. Our hostel is literally right on the beach in Barcelona. It is beautiful, but not particularly warm, so it is just slightly less enjoyable. Barcelona has been very nice so far. I spent too much money in Amsterdam and now I have to be very cheap as a result. I don't really have very many plans for Barcelona other than relaxing on or around the beach and going into the city center a couple of times. Today, everybody else decided to go to the Olympic Park but I am coming down with a cold and really didn't feel well enough to go. It has been alright though...I just threw on my iPod and started walking around near the Hostel. Now I am sitting in the bar looking out at the ocean and the palm trees and listening to more music. What a change of pace from the perpetual hustle and bustle of London!
It is strange not being in London anymore and to be frank, I miss it. I got really comfortable in Earl's Court and greater London and grew to like it a lot. It will be interesting to see how Florence will compare. I think the language barrier might put an unfair bias on London being my favorite but I am going to do my best to appreciate Florence and all of the places I am visiting for that matter because I know that each one of them has many qualities. It is hard to beat the diversity of London but if more of these nice beaches and palm trees keep popping up London might find itself some competition!
Friday, March 21, 2008
Ciao London
Well, I leave London in tomorrow. It has been a great journey. I feel like I have seen a lifetimes worth of London, but I know that if I ever come back here it will continue to impress me. London is an amazing city that is almost as modern as it is historic. Indeed you can really see or do anything you please here as long as you are willing to pay for it. I have had the unbelievable opportunity to do a lot of things most people will never do while earning college credits. Before I came here I debated whether or not I should come, betting on the fact that I would come back here sometime in life anyway. I know now that there is no way I could have had the same experience any other way because no vacation would ever have provided me with the amount of information or experiences that I have had in my 2 months living in London.
We are really busy these last couple of days because we are trying to see everything we didn’t make time to see before now. Today we saw the Tower of London. It was really amazing and extremely old. It was just unfortunate that it is Easter Weekend and everybody in Europe seems to have come to London on vacation. The lines at the Tower were phenomenal, but so were the crown jewels!
I am a little bit sad to be leaving. I really grew comfortable to London life. I could definitely spend an entire semester in London and it is weird to think that two weeks from now I will be settled into an eight week stay in Italy. London has treated me very well (except the exchange rate!) and I hope Florence will do the same. I’ll keep you updated on the trips I am taking to Amsterdam and Barcelona during our break.
Much Love,
Lee
We are really busy these last couple of days because we are trying to see everything we didn’t make time to see before now. Today we saw the Tower of London. It was really amazing and extremely old. It was just unfortunate that it is Easter Weekend and everybody in Europe seems to have come to London on vacation. The lines at the Tower were phenomenal, but so were the crown jewels!
I am a little bit sad to be leaving. I really grew comfortable to London life. I could definitely spend an entire semester in London and it is weird to think that two weeks from now I will be settled into an eight week stay in Italy. London has treated me very well (except the exchange rate!) and I hope Florence will do the same. I’ll keep you updated on the trips I am taking to Amsterdam and Barcelona during our break.
Much Love,
Lee
Monday, March 10, 2008
My stint as an MBA student...
So, we had a three day weekend this past weekend and it was uneventful, which was nice. We do so much during the week that the weekends are often very nice breaks to just chill around the apartment. We just went to a couple pubs and made a couple nice dinners for a change and it was all very relaxing. We also are beginning to wind down with classes and as a result have to begin working on our final projects. I am writing a paper on Speaker's Corner as theater. Speaker's Corner is essentially a concentrated area of free speech in the middle of Hyde Park where people can go every Sunday and stand on a box and speak their mind. I am writing a paper arguing that, through the eyes of Bertolt Brecht, Peter Schumann, and Peter Brook (three theater experts that we have studied in the course) Speaker's Corner is theater. It is about as interesting of a topic as I could come up with that didn't delve into the business side of the theater world in London, which would have involved a massive amount of research and interviews that I didn't want to do. As a result, I got to go to Speaker's Corner and take notes on all the theatrical events happening around me. A couple highlights:
1.) A man yelling F*** Mohammed, F*** Jesus, and F*** you who was standing next to a man with a sign that said "Everything is OK". The profane man was actually trying to prove a point but it wasn't well received by much of the audience...
2.) A man yelling that the white man took all the land from the red man and that they should give it all back.
3.) A man with a sign that read "I am an attention whore, listen to me"
4.) Many, many, many people preaching their particular religion. Islam is especially common.
Anyway, it is a very interesting place that I would recommend anyone visiting London should see.
Today, four of us had the opportunity to sit in on a lecture at the University of London. It was excellent for me for a couple of reasons. First, I finally was able to escape the land of fiction and theater. Second, these grad students were learning many of the things that I have already covered in my undergraduate degree. This gave me confidence in Ripon that has been lacking of late. Third, these people pay a lot of money to attend school here and as a result they get dinner catered for them in the middle of the class and we got to eat for free (always a plus when you are dealing with the kind of exchange rates we are dealing with over here)! Also, one gets really tired of Spaghetti after a while. But seriously, it was a really great experience that I didn't expect to happen but our Profs. Son-in-Law was the Prof. of the class and invited a few of the more business minded students on the program to come and sit in on the class. We learned about marketing to the developing and poorer nations of the world and discussed if it was ethical to make money off of the poor. It was interesting and a surprisingly Riponesque class considering there were about 20 students including the four of us. We split into small groups and had class discussions, both of which were unexpected surprises for me going into a Grad. School classroom at the University of London. I enjoyed it very much though!
We'll I think I will stop for now. I really need to get back to my paper but at least this was a somewhat productive form of procrastination on my paper. It is a whole lot better than Solitaire or checking my email incessantly. Keep in touch!
Much Love,
Lee
1.) A man yelling F*** Mohammed, F*** Jesus, and F*** you who was standing next to a man with a sign that said "Everything is OK". The profane man was actually trying to prove a point but it wasn't well received by much of the audience...
2.) A man yelling that the white man took all the land from the red man and that they should give it all back.
3.) A man with a sign that read "I am an attention whore, listen to me"
4.) Many, many, many people preaching their particular religion. Islam is especially common.
Anyway, it is a very interesting place that I would recommend anyone visiting London should see.
Today, four of us had the opportunity to sit in on a lecture at the University of London. It was excellent for me for a couple of reasons. First, I finally was able to escape the land of fiction and theater. Second, these grad students were learning many of the things that I have already covered in my undergraduate degree. This gave me confidence in Ripon that has been lacking of late. Third, these people pay a lot of money to attend school here and as a result they get dinner catered for them in the middle of the class and we got to eat for free (always a plus when you are dealing with the kind of exchange rates we are dealing with over here)! Also, one gets really tired of Spaghetti after a while. But seriously, it was a really great experience that I didn't expect to happen but our Profs. Son-in-Law was the Prof. of the class and invited a few of the more business minded students on the program to come and sit in on the class. We learned about marketing to the developing and poorer nations of the world and discussed if it was ethical to make money off of the poor. It was interesting and a surprisingly Riponesque class considering there were about 20 students including the four of us. We split into small groups and had class discussions, both of which were unexpected surprises for me going into a Grad. School classroom at the University of London. I enjoyed it very much though!
We'll I think I will stop for now. I really need to get back to my paper but at least this was a somewhat productive form of procrastination on my paper. It is a whole lot better than Solitaire or checking my email incessantly. Keep in touch!
Much Love,
Lee
Monday, March 3, 2008
Ain't Nothin' But...
Forgive me for how long it has been since my last post. I have done so much that I couldn't possibly get it all down in one post. So I will just note some of the highlights:
Last week we went to Stratford Upon Avon to visit that have to do with Shakespeare. We saw his Mom, Sister, and Doctors houses as well as his birthplace. It was all well and good but for the most part it was pretty underwhelming. It was just nice to get out into the country and away from the paved paradise of London. I think was healthy for the entire group. The best parts of the trip by far were the performances we saw while we were there. We saw Richard II and Henry IV part I which were both performed by the Royal Shakespeare Company and better performed than any of the plays we have seen thus far into our stay.
For the most part we have seen all of the tourist attractions around the city so we spend our time meandering around markets during the day trying to find cheap food/souvenirs. It is nice knowing that we have successfully escaped the freezing temps and blowing snow for warm, sunny days. We all just find our ability to walk around outside with no jacket a real blessing!
Classes are starting to wind down now as we only have about 2 weeks left in London! I can't believe how fast it has gone by and the amount of stuff that we have fit into such a short period of time. It really feels though, like the program should be done after London is done because it feels as though we have done a semesters worth of stuff! It is really crazy to think that we will not be done but just moving on to another 8 weeks program in a completely different country that doesn't speak English. It is going to be an interesting journey!
Sorry this has been such a short entry but I am kind of typed out between writing papers and keeping up with people through instant messaging. If you have any questions of comments feel free to comment on this entry. Miss you all!
Last week we went to Stratford Upon Avon to visit that have to do with Shakespeare. We saw his Mom, Sister, and Doctors houses as well as his birthplace. It was all well and good but for the most part it was pretty underwhelming. It was just nice to get out into the country and away from the paved paradise of London. I think was healthy for the entire group. The best parts of the trip by far were the performances we saw while we were there. We saw Richard II and Henry IV part I which were both performed by the Royal Shakespeare Company and better performed than any of the plays we have seen thus far into our stay.
For the most part we have seen all of the tourist attractions around the city so we spend our time meandering around markets during the day trying to find cheap food/souvenirs. It is nice knowing that we have successfully escaped the freezing temps and blowing snow for warm, sunny days. We all just find our ability to walk around outside with no jacket a real blessing!
Classes are starting to wind down now as we only have about 2 weeks left in London! I can't believe how fast it has gone by and the amount of stuff that we have fit into such a short period of time. It really feels though, like the program should be done after London is done because it feels as though we have done a semesters worth of stuff! It is really crazy to think that we will not be done but just moving on to another 8 weeks program in a completely different country that doesn't speak English. It is going to be an interesting journey!
Sorry this has been such a short entry but I am kind of typed out between writing papers and keeping up with people through instant messaging. If you have any questions of comments feel free to comment on this entry. Miss you all!
Monday, February 18, 2008
Parlay Voo Anglay?
Unfortunately over the last four days I did not run into very many people that did speak Anglay. Ben Yust, Liz Kunde, and I ventured to Paris over our long weekend and if I had to describe it in on word I would call it an "Experience", and it was. It was an experience to remember.
We flew out of beautiful and sunny London on Friday afternoon and arrived in cloudy and cold Paris an hour later to be greeted by words we could not understand. We were very naive in the sense that we did not realize ahead of time what a struggle it would be to deal with the language barrier. The only benefit we had was that Liz had a few years of high school French behind her. So we mispronounced our way across town on a few very long train rides and finally arrived at our hotel in the somewhat shady Parisian suburbs. Our hotel was called Gis Hotel and our room consisted of a double bed and a single bed crammed into a room with what was, I think, to be considered a desk and a what appeared to be a 10" TV. We had hoped we would be able to go to the Louvre that night but after struggling somewhat with the somewhat disorganized and altogether confusing train system we were too wiped and it was too late. So we crashed for the night.
Saturday brought much better results. Right away in the morning we figured out the trains much quicker and made it to the Eiffel Tower. It was very impressive but certainly not the highlight of the trip. We met up with our friend Molly (who also attends Ripon and is studying abroad in Paris this semester) and she ushered us back to her apartment (she lives with Ms. Poupon the mustard heiress). From there we went to the Louvre which was a very great experience. We saw the Mona Lisa, many works by Raphael, and the crown jewels of the past monarchy of France and we were in awe of it all. I have had the amazing opportunity to see some of the most famous and impressive art in the world in my short stay in London and it is great to be able to add this to my growing list of cultural experiences. Ben had been feeling under the weather from the get go and it seemed to be worsening so he went back to the hotel and Liz and I continued on to the Arc de Triomphe. It was dark at this point and it was a really beautiful structure all lit up at night. It was built to honor the returning forces lead by Napolean and one cannot help but think that he was overcompensating for something (he was 5'2").
Saturday was a ridiculous day. If people say you cannot see Paris in a day Liz and I proved otherwise. Ben was on his deathbed with a sinus infection (we think) and decided to stay in so Liz and I decided to take Paris by storm. We started our day at Sacre Couer, a bassilica built to honor those that died in the Franco-Prussion war. It is a massive structure built on top of a hill over looking Paris. It had immaculate views and an even more beautiful interior. When we went in on Sunday morning Mass was still going on which added wonderfully to the ambiance of the experience. After avoiding the barrage of people trying to sell us two incredibly overpriced strings that apparently would look beautiful around our wrists we found a quaint cafe to eat lunch at between tourist traps. We then ventured to Notre Dame which was also very beautiful but, to me, was not quite as grand as Sacre Couer (maybe it just seemed like more of the same). Still though, to its credit, it is a wonderful work of architechure and built right on the Seinne, you can't really go wrong with that. Then we wasted 6 Euro on a lame museum that used to be a prison during the revolution but now is apparently open solely for the purpose of luring unsuspecting non-french speaking tourists in to attempt to read all french displays about a pretty boring topic (our guidebook led us astray!). After that we were ready to crash but not even close to done. We went to Luxemburg Gardens to get coffee with Molly. It was good to sit for a while and very nice to have a french speaker with to order for us. You think we should be done but we weren't...
After dinner we went to Centre Pompidou, the Parisian modern art museum. Again, very impressive, but not quite as memorable as the Tate Modern art museum here in London that has Picasso and Jackson Pollack on display. Last but not least, we trecked back to the Eiffel Tower to see it sparkle up as it does every hour on the hour after six p.m. It was amazing and definetely worth seeing up close. It was beautiful and a wonderful tourism investment on the part of the Parisians I must say. We finally arrived back at the hotel to find Ben in somewhat better sprits at 11 p.m. What a day!
That is my Paris experience. Today all we did was sleep in, go to the mall to find some souvenirs, and fly home. My initial observations about Paris (although my stay was breif) are as follows:
1. Paris is much dirtier than London.
2. There is graffiti EVERYWHERE!
3. The language barrier is harder than you realize if you don't have any french experience.
4. The people, overall, were very accomodating.
5. The homeless people/street hawkers(selling wrist strings/miniature eiffel towers) are very invasive and sometimes will not take no for an answer. Be aware! word on the street is that they pickpocket.
In a nutshell we were all very excited to be back in London today and although the experience was a positive one it by no means shyed us away from travelling. I think, if anything, it encouraged me. I conquered Paris in essentially two days and came out the other side no worse for the ware. I am excited and anxious for my next opportunity to travel in Europe.
Sorry this got so long and wordy, but of course there would be a lot to say after a weekend like that! I experienced a lot and am well on my way to acheiving my goal: becoming a part of the few, the proud, the cultured business majors!
Much Love! I will check back in in a few days.
We flew out of beautiful and sunny London on Friday afternoon and arrived in cloudy and cold Paris an hour later to be greeted by words we could not understand. We were very naive in the sense that we did not realize ahead of time what a struggle it would be to deal with the language barrier. The only benefit we had was that Liz had a few years of high school French behind her. So we mispronounced our way across town on a few very long train rides and finally arrived at our hotel in the somewhat shady Parisian suburbs. Our hotel was called Gis Hotel and our room consisted of a double bed and a single bed crammed into a room with what was, I think, to be considered a desk and a what appeared to be a 10" TV. We had hoped we would be able to go to the Louvre that night but after struggling somewhat with the somewhat disorganized and altogether confusing train system we were too wiped and it was too late. So we crashed for the night.
Saturday brought much better results. Right away in the morning we figured out the trains much quicker and made it to the Eiffel Tower. It was very impressive but certainly not the highlight of the trip. We met up with our friend Molly (who also attends Ripon and is studying abroad in Paris this semester) and she ushered us back to her apartment (she lives with Ms. Poupon the mustard heiress). From there we went to the Louvre which was a very great experience. We saw the Mona Lisa, many works by Raphael, and the crown jewels of the past monarchy of France and we were in awe of it all. I have had the amazing opportunity to see some of the most famous and impressive art in the world in my short stay in London and it is great to be able to add this to my growing list of cultural experiences. Ben had been feeling under the weather from the get go and it seemed to be worsening so he went back to the hotel and Liz and I continued on to the Arc de Triomphe. It was dark at this point and it was a really beautiful structure all lit up at night. It was built to honor the returning forces lead by Napolean and one cannot help but think that he was overcompensating for something (he was 5'2").
Saturday was a ridiculous day. If people say you cannot see Paris in a day Liz and I proved otherwise. Ben was on his deathbed with a sinus infection (we think) and decided to stay in so Liz and I decided to take Paris by storm. We started our day at Sacre Couer, a bassilica built to honor those that died in the Franco-Prussion war. It is a massive structure built on top of a hill over looking Paris. It had immaculate views and an even more beautiful interior. When we went in on Sunday morning Mass was still going on which added wonderfully to the ambiance of the experience. After avoiding the barrage of people trying to sell us two incredibly overpriced strings that apparently would look beautiful around our wrists we found a quaint cafe to eat lunch at between tourist traps. We then ventured to Notre Dame which was also very beautiful but, to me, was not quite as grand as Sacre Couer (maybe it just seemed like more of the same). Still though, to its credit, it is a wonderful work of architechure and built right on the Seinne, you can't really go wrong with that. Then we wasted 6 Euro on a lame museum that used to be a prison during the revolution but now is apparently open solely for the purpose of luring unsuspecting non-french speaking tourists in to attempt to read all french displays about a pretty boring topic (our guidebook led us astray!). After that we were ready to crash but not even close to done. We went to Luxemburg Gardens to get coffee with Molly. It was good to sit for a while and very nice to have a french speaker with to order for us. You think we should be done but we weren't...
After dinner we went to Centre Pompidou, the Parisian modern art museum. Again, very impressive, but not quite as memorable as the Tate Modern art museum here in London that has Picasso and Jackson Pollack on display. Last but not least, we trecked back to the Eiffel Tower to see it sparkle up as it does every hour on the hour after six p.m. It was amazing and definetely worth seeing up close. It was beautiful and a wonderful tourism investment on the part of the Parisians I must say. We finally arrived back at the hotel to find Ben in somewhat better sprits at 11 p.m. What a day!
That is my Paris experience. Today all we did was sleep in, go to the mall to find some souvenirs, and fly home. My initial observations about Paris (although my stay was breif) are as follows:
1. Paris is much dirtier than London.
2. There is graffiti EVERYWHERE!
3. The language barrier is harder than you realize if you don't have any french experience.
4. The people, overall, were very accomodating.
5. The homeless people/street hawkers(selling wrist strings/miniature eiffel towers) are very invasive and sometimes will not take no for an answer. Be aware! word on the street is that they pickpocket.
In a nutshell we were all very excited to be back in London today and although the experience was a positive one it by no means shyed us away from travelling. I think, if anything, it encouraged me. I conquered Paris in essentially two days and came out the other side no worse for the ware. I am excited and anxious for my next opportunity to travel in Europe.
Sorry this got so long and wordy, but of course there would be a lot to say after a weekend like that! I experienced a lot and am well on my way to acheiving my goal: becoming a part of the few, the proud, the cultured business majors!
Much Love! I will check back in in a few days.
Friday, February 8, 2008
Rigorous Leisure
Really, the title of this entry explains it all. There is a curious dichotomy happening on this trip. While on one hand we are in London experiencing the city first hand and immersing ourselves fully into the culture on the other we are also students and expected to act as such. The classes seem to be more rigorous than anybody expected. Just this past week our "London as a Visual Text" Professor assigned a paper the same day another was due and to make it worse it is due the same day as another paper assigned by our other professor for "London as a Theatrical Text." We have class most days of the week that, 2-3 days a week, are followed by plays in which we are expected to take notes and discuss them in class in the following few days. It has been no easy task to balance our extreme desire to travel the city and see everything while finishing our heavy workload.
That being said, one musn't complain. We are in the middle of one of the great cultural centers of the world and are having, for most of us, the times of our lives. Yesterday we went to Abbey Road and blocked traffic in the process of trying to recreate the famous Beatles album cover. Today we went to Camden Market which was full of some very eccentric individuals that definetely spurred on some culture shock for those less accustomed to city life or alternative lifestyles (thats a politically correct way of saying there were a lot of heavily peirced individuals with very colorful hair, often dressed in clothes normally worn by the opposite sex). I enjoyed it a lot though. It was fun looking through all of the shops that sell anything ranging from what most people would consider worthless knick-knacks to higher end clothing and jewelry.
The weather has been fantastic here and I am not missing the Midwest winter at all. The myth about it always being rainy in London has so far proven false as it has been in the mid-50's and sunny nearly the entire time we have been here. It makes it really easy and tempting to go walking in the markets or along the Thames.
We have a four day weekend coming up next week and a few of us just bought plane tickets to Paris where we will stay from Friday to Monday. With the exchange rate the way it is it was a bit of a shot to the wallet, but I am sure that it will prove to be worth it in the end being able to see the Eiffel Tower in person and to visit the Louvre. We are going to stay in a hostel and go see as much as we can see in our short stay. On our list of things to do so far is: See the Eiffel Tower, Tour the Catacombs and go to the Louvre. If you have any ideas just put a comment on this post and I will surely look into it. We are always looking for ideas of neat things to do.
That's all I have for now. I would like to announce sarcastically (kind of) that I am officially taking donations to offset the wicked and outrageous exchange rate. If you are interested send them to (cash or check only please):
Lee Homan
ACM London Program
270 Earl's Court Rd.
London SW5 9AS
United Kingdom
That being said, one musn't complain. We are in the middle of one of the great cultural centers of the world and are having, for most of us, the times of our lives. Yesterday we went to Abbey Road and blocked traffic in the process of trying to recreate the famous Beatles album cover. Today we went to Camden Market which was full of some very eccentric individuals that definetely spurred on some culture shock for those less accustomed to city life or alternative lifestyles (thats a politically correct way of saying there were a lot of heavily peirced individuals with very colorful hair, often dressed in clothes normally worn by the opposite sex). I enjoyed it a lot though. It was fun looking through all of the shops that sell anything ranging from what most people would consider worthless knick-knacks to higher end clothing and jewelry.
The weather has been fantastic here and I am not missing the Midwest winter at all. The myth about it always being rainy in London has so far proven false as it has been in the mid-50's and sunny nearly the entire time we have been here. It makes it really easy and tempting to go walking in the markets or along the Thames.
We have a four day weekend coming up next week and a few of us just bought plane tickets to Paris where we will stay from Friday to Monday. With the exchange rate the way it is it was a bit of a shot to the wallet, but I am sure that it will prove to be worth it in the end being able to see the Eiffel Tower in person and to visit the Louvre. We are going to stay in a hostel and go see as much as we can see in our short stay. On our list of things to do so far is: See the Eiffel Tower, Tour the Catacombs and go to the Louvre. If you have any ideas just put a comment on this post and I will surely look into it. We are always looking for ideas of neat things to do.
That's all I have for now. I would like to announce sarcastically (kind of) that I am officially taking donations to offset the wicked and outrageous exchange rate. If you are interested send them to (cash or check only please):
Lee Homan
ACM London Program
270 Earl's Court Rd.
London SW5 9AS
United Kingdom
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
Exchange Rate Blues
Hello All,
It has been a while since my last post but we remain busy and it is hard to find time. Also I feel like I spend half of my time here reflecting because I have a journal for one of my classes, a personal journal and then this blog. It all gets a little bit repetitive.
Everything is going really well. I had a really relaxing weekend that I spent mostly in the Earl's Court area where we live. We also had a paper assigned for the London as a Visual Text class that we have. We had to write about some way the River Thames has effected the City of London as we know it today. It wasn't too tough but it got a little bit time consuming and just today I found out it is worth 10% of our grade, which is a bit much.
Last night and today were particularly cool. Last night we saw an amazing play called War Horse. It is one of those plays that after you leave you think everybody should see it. It is a story of a boy and his horse. They become very attached and as every story must have the conflict they get separated. The horse gets sent away during World War 1 for an officer to use in the cavalry. The boy is so attached that he follows the horse to the front lines and tries to find him. It chronicles the vast amount of horses that died during that war (something like 8 million) and also the struggle, specifically in the 1st world war, between machines and horses. World War 1 brought on the invention of the machine gun with which the horse can obviously not compete. The even more miraculous thing is that they used giant puppets for the horses that moved in a very life like way. It was amazing that how emotionally attached you got to the horse as the play progressed. In any sense you guys, if you ever come here, should try and make it the show. It is very high budget and very awesome.
Today on the other hand was overwhelmingly packed with history and information as we toured Westminster Abbey. We got permission to go into the shrine, which is not normally open to the public and it was an amazing experience. Unfortunately you cannot take pictures inside the building because if we had been able to I am sure I would have been snapping them the whole time. This building is more ornate than I ever imagined anything could be; on the outside and on the inside. It was built over the span of several centuries and therefore incorporates many different styles of architecture and decor. It is mostly Gothic. Imagine a place where the designers were told to fit as much into every square inch as possible. It is filled with gold and extremely old tombs containing every King or Queen up to Elizabeth Queen of the Scots. It was an amazing experience that one can hardly write down. By the time I was done my brain was fried and I needed a nap.
Tonight we are going to our Prof. flat in Euston Square for a home cooked Spaghetti dinner that is sure to be delicious. It is especially nice to not have to eat my own food or pay for something as the exchange rate is worse than anybody ever imagined and is a thorn in all of our sides. Hope all is well back in the states. Cheers!
Lee
It has been a while since my last post but we remain busy and it is hard to find time. Also I feel like I spend half of my time here reflecting because I have a journal for one of my classes, a personal journal and then this blog. It all gets a little bit repetitive.
Everything is going really well. I had a really relaxing weekend that I spent mostly in the Earl's Court area where we live. We also had a paper assigned for the London as a Visual Text class that we have. We had to write about some way the River Thames has effected the City of London as we know it today. It wasn't too tough but it got a little bit time consuming and just today I found out it is worth 10% of our grade, which is a bit much.
Last night and today were particularly cool. Last night we saw an amazing play called War Horse. It is one of those plays that after you leave you think everybody should see it. It is a story of a boy and his horse. They become very attached and as every story must have the conflict they get separated. The horse gets sent away during World War 1 for an officer to use in the cavalry. The boy is so attached that he follows the horse to the front lines and tries to find him. It chronicles the vast amount of horses that died during that war (something like 8 million) and also the struggle, specifically in the 1st world war, between machines and horses. World War 1 brought on the invention of the machine gun with which the horse can obviously not compete. The even more miraculous thing is that they used giant puppets for the horses that moved in a very life like way. It was amazing that how emotionally attached you got to the horse as the play progressed. In any sense you guys, if you ever come here, should try and make it the show. It is very high budget and very awesome.
Today on the other hand was overwhelmingly packed with history and information as we toured Westminster Abbey. We got permission to go into the shrine, which is not normally open to the public and it was an amazing experience. Unfortunately you cannot take pictures inside the building because if we had been able to I am sure I would have been snapping them the whole time. This building is more ornate than I ever imagined anything could be; on the outside and on the inside. It was built over the span of several centuries and therefore incorporates many different styles of architecture and decor. It is mostly Gothic. Imagine a place where the designers were told to fit as much into every square inch as possible. It is filled with gold and extremely old tombs containing every King or Queen up to Elizabeth Queen of the Scots. It was an amazing experience that one can hardly write down. By the time I was done my brain was fried and I needed a nap.
Tonight we are going to our Prof. flat in Euston Square for a home cooked Spaghetti dinner that is sure to be delicious. It is especially nice to not have to eat my own food or pay for something as the exchange rate is worse than anybody ever imagined and is a thorn in all of our sides. Hope all is well back in the states. Cheers!
Lee
Thursday, January 31, 2008
I'm here!
Well, I am finally here. 5 days ago I arrived in London and it has been one of the most hectic weeks of my life. In those five days I have had class everyday, seen 4 plays (each night but the first), gone out to the local pubs twice and been to the Tate Modern art museum. It has been a week to remember.
We live in an area of London known as Earl's Court. It is very close to the city and quite posh so thanks to the fact that the program provides us with unlimited train and bus travel passes we are all looking forward to seeing much of London before our eight weeks are up.
Yesterday, I had my first London as a Visual Text class. It is a class designed to explore the different visual aspects of London. We discuss how what we see around us affects the way we feel about a particular place. Yesterday we took a brisk walk along the Thames to a boat. We took the boat down the Thames to the Tower Bridge and took pictures and learned about different landmarks along the way. It seems like it is going to be a great class that will surely test all of our walking skills (the prof. is a local Londonite that is quite accustomed to navigating the bustling streets).
The other class I am taking while I am here is London as a Theatrical Text. We have all gotten to know both the profs. for this class quite well by this point as they seem to be serving as our human guidebooks for the city and are our only access to people from the states (they are married and team teach at Beloit). We have had class three times with them and have seen 4 very different but very similarly confusing plays. It is interesting and very challenging to be switching back into these types of classes after being in nothing but Business and Econ. classes for the past year.
Ben Yust, Maggie Mahoney and I went to the Tate Modern art Museum yesterday which was quite the experience. We had to walk about 3 miles (felt like 20) from the Tower Bridge to the museum but once we finally got there is was really great. It was amazing to see Pablo Picasso and Jackson Pollack paintings in person for the first time and it is something that anybody who comes to London should check out, even if art isn't your thing.
It is raining out today so I think tonight, because we don't have any structured activities, we will probably go to another museum (they are free, unlike anything else in London). To all of you reading this in the Midwest I just need to laugh because it has been 50+ and sunny the entire time I have been here (until today) and it has been great! Enjoy your snow frigid windchills! Miss you all!
We live in an area of London known as Earl's Court. It is very close to the city and quite posh so thanks to the fact that the program provides us with unlimited train and bus travel passes we are all looking forward to seeing much of London before our eight weeks are up.
Yesterday, I had my first London as a Visual Text class. It is a class designed to explore the different visual aspects of London. We discuss how what we see around us affects the way we feel about a particular place. Yesterday we took a brisk walk along the Thames to a boat. We took the boat down the Thames to the Tower Bridge and took pictures and learned about different landmarks along the way. It seems like it is going to be a great class that will surely test all of our walking skills (the prof. is a local Londonite that is quite accustomed to navigating the bustling streets).
The other class I am taking while I am here is London as a Theatrical Text. We have all gotten to know both the profs. for this class quite well by this point as they seem to be serving as our human guidebooks for the city and are our only access to people from the states (they are married and team teach at Beloit). We have had class three times with them and have seen 4 very different but very similarly confusing plays. It is interesting and very challenging to be switching back into these types of classes after being in nothing but Business and Econ. classes for the past year.
Ben Yust, Maggie Mahoney and I went to the Tate Modern art Museum yesterday which was quite the experience. We had to walk about 3 miles (felt like 20) from the Tower Bridge to the museum but once we finally got there is was really great. It was amazing to see Pablo Picasso and Jackson Pollack paintings in person for the first time and it is something that anybody who comes to London should check out, even if art isn't your thing.
It is raining out today so I think tonight, because we don't have any structured activities, we will probably go to another museum (they are free, unlike anything else in London). To all of you reading this in the Midwest I just need to laugh because it has been 50+ and sunny the entire time I have been here (until today) and it has been great! Enjoy your snow frigid windchills! Miss you all!
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