So, I went to Ireland AND I traveled by myself. This was a huge weekend: getting to see Max, my parents were dicking around near the coast, and Max's parents (incidentally, my second set) took some time off to return to their honeymoonland. I arrived in Dublin late Thursday night (missing an Italian quiz - whoops!) and then had to take a 3 hour bus ride to Galway on the opposite side of the country. How precious: it only takes 3 hours to get from one side of Ireland to the other! Seeing Max awkwardly hunched, waiting for me in the bus station was such a familiar feeling that sent chills up (or is it down?) my spine.
I got Subway - an Italian BMT. Hallefuckinglujah it was delicious.
Max took me to his apartment near the NUI Galway campus and we proceeded to watch some episodes of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. Completely nostalgic of our lives in St. Louis.
Next day bright and early Max's parents picked us up in their rental car and we proceeded to drive along the west coast of Ireland down to Abbey County. I had my first genuine Irish Guinness at McGann's Pub at 11 AM (which of course was documented) and we ate oysters and crab claws in Kilcogan. We went to the Cliffs of Moher (pronounced 'moore' not 'mo-hair', fools) which was SO fucking sweet. Google it or look on my facebook. Then we drove down to a beach in Lahinch. Max almost pissed his pants we were up so high and I made him climb down a brief cliff to the beach. Did I mention it didn't rain once in my 4 days in Ireland? The weather gods fucking love me.
That night Max's parents took us out to an extremely nice restaurant on 'shop street' in Galway. I was a little out of it mentally (sorry Suzan and Tim) but appreciative nonetheless. We parted ways so that Max and I could get a little drunk and not feel embarassed: Taaffe's Pub. We had the best seats in the house (NOT) quite literally onstage. A 4-part Irish folk band played the night away and my ears are still ringing.
Midday on Saturday Max and I took the bus back to Dublin as my closest compatriates from Rome as well as my parents were to arrive there. We met up and watched the rugby championship game Ireland vs. Wales at Malloy's Pub. Ireland pulled a win in the last few minutes causing massive uproar in the streets of Dublin. Fuckin' a! Many more things happened that night, particularly with my parents, causing it to be possibly my favorite day in most recent memory.
The beautiful part about Ireland is that as much fun as the city life is in Dublin and Galway, not 20 minutes outside are mountains, beaches, and green landscape for hundreds of miles. The treacherous winding roads look like they were mapped at random by a blind 7 year old, but they give you a perfectly enchanting tour. And sheep. So many sheep. If Max has't at least ridden one in his time in Ireland I'll be sorely disappointed.
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Spring Break - Athens
If you were disappointed by the last post it's because I was having hot flashes of excitement to write about the second leg of spring break - Athens, Greece. Mark and I began the journey from Rome (not the brightest idea as we could've just jetted over to Athens from Turkey, but hindsight's 20/20 right?!) I don't know about you but I've always imagined Athens and Greece as general as a country still stuck in ancient times. Everyone wears togas and leaves on their heads and speaks in..well, ancient Greek, I guess. But in Istanbul we had met 3 guys studying in Athens who convinced me it was actually a progressive place where women weren't simply concubines or melodramatic lovers. We stayed in a hostel that looked like a complete shithole but was fucking fabulous and about a 20 minute walk from the city center. As Athens held the 2004 Olympics it had undergone some much needed change which was a plus for us - great public transportation, signs in English, and FOOD EVERYWHERE. Kebabs, gyros, that white sauce? Yes. And fairly cheap compared to Italy - their supermarket beer (Vergina, I kid you not) was about 4 euro for a 6-pack and rather appetizing.
The hostel was geared toward a younger crowd (as it was called a "Youth Hostel") but that didn't stop some of the creeps from coming out - and boy am I glad they did! We played drinking games one night w/ people from England, Madrid (they were acrobats in the circus!!), Bulgaria, Brooklyn, and Canada (check this guy out: www.andrewmondia.com he's exactly like this in real-life, such a weirdo). It was super to meet people from all over, learn what they thought about Americans, and eat food they were more than willing to cook.
Mark and I spent one of the days in the Acropolis - the city 'above' Athens that has the Parthenon, the Temple of Athena Nike, and other old really cool shit. Look it up, please. We also saw Socrates' jail, the Philopappou monument (Mark actually did push-ups on it, I told you he's a meathead), the Academy, and the National Archaelogical Museum. Mark had an episode of diarrhea so our time was cut short in the museum. We also traveled with our friends from England and Spain to the Olympic complex and watched time trials in cycling for the next Olympics. I love things that are free! You can also go to the site of the original Olympics of 1896 - a large (not in this day and age) track that was the first big stadium in the modern world. Interestingly it also happens to be a contemporary hot spot for drug deals!
The night life in Athens is...it's what kept us in Athens the whole time instead of going to islands like Mykonos and Santorini or Delphi. (Don't be angry, the weather was kind of bad too and not 'island weather.') But, as always seems to be the case for me, we got lucky and met all the right people to really make the trip. One night in particular stands out - read on if you want to be a bit shocked:
Mark and I were completely psyched to see that the Chinese National Acrobat team was going to be in Athens while we were there. We wanted to get tickets so badly that walking for 1.5 hours in the pouring rain (in sandals, of course) seemed like a good idea. As I made my way into the second gas station to ask for directions, a shifty-eyed Greek man w/ shoulder-length hair (yes, he was beautiful) said we were about 7 km away and offered us a ride. YES PLEASE THANK YOU! We hopped in and began a friendship. Antonios was a disgustingly wealthy lava-lamp-seller-turned-mechanical engineer who basically built present-day Athens. He was divorced w/ 2 kids (something he spent many minutes talking about) and very very lonely as he dedicated 12 hours a day to work. Was this his attempt at getting some from me? Probably, but whatever. He ended up buying a ticket to the acrobat show and said he'd pick us up the next night. He did, we went to the show (it was AWESOME!), and then brought us to his flat afterward for some wine (he even bought us our own bottle as a gift to take home). We kept the conversation going (yeah - it got awkward) and the subject of drugs came up when Mark was in the bathroom. I asked if they were a problem w/in the younger population of Athens and he said yes but that he admittedly was a coke user. Then Antonios went to the bathroom several more times and I finally figured out he was doing coke each time. I told Mark but he was a bit too drunk to care at that point which is when my brain turned on and I decided to STOP DRINKING and start making sure we weren't going to die that night. I mean Antonios was our ride home and it appeared as though our night was young...shit.
He proceeded to take us to a Romanian night club filled w/ slutty girls and humongously jacked dudes. I was scared but free drinks were coming and Mark couldn't help himself - he was hammered. Then Antonios asked if we wanted to go to a strip club - now I'd never been to one and Mark said he hadn't either (I saw right through that) - but what better place to do it than in Athens where we somehow meet the nightclub owner, sit VIP, get a free lapdance (Mark), free tequila and food, and free entry? Yeah, you heard right. I forgot to mention that it was also a sex show and I was about 8 feet from a horrific live sex scene. Then Antonios offered us each some coke and I declined. We got home at about 4 that morning - but we were alive.
Anyway Greece became my new favorite place after this trip and is still high up there. The people were very similar to Italians but in general much friendlier. It didn't help that I don't even know the Greek alphabet so when things weren't written in English we were fucked. Several times we encountered people for blocks that spoke no English and therefore couldn't get us home. But that's all part of the adventure. I'll never forget Damareos street (stay there if you ever go - Pagration Youth Hostel).
One highlight of the trip that really reminded Mark and I both of home was playing soccer and basketball w/ some locals at Pagrati Park. Also near the park a small zoo where, for 10 minutes of awe, we watched a ram trying to rape a small goat. It was really disturbing.
Toodles!
The hostel was geared toward a younger crowd (as it was called a "Youth Hostel") but that didn't stop some of the creeps from coming out - and boy am I glad they did! We played drinking games one night w/ people from England, Madrid (they were acrobats in the circus!!), Bulgaria, Brooklyn, and Canada (check this guy out: www.andrewmondia.com he's exactly like this in real-life, such a weirdo). It was super to meet people from all over, learn what they thought about Americans, and eat food they were more than willing to cook.
Mark and I spent one of the days in the Acropolis - the city 'above' Athens that has the Parthenon, the Temple of Athena Nike, and other old really cool shit. Look it up, please. We also saw Socrates' jail, the Philopappou monument (Mark actually did push-ups on it, I told you he's a meathead), the Academy, and the National Archaelogical Museum. Mark had an episode of diarrhea so our time was cut short in the museum. We also traveled with our friends from England and Spain to the Olympic complex and watched time trials in cycling for the next Olympics. I love things that are free! You can also go to the site of the original Olympics of 1896 - a large (not in this day and age) track that was the first big stadium in the modern world. Interestingly it also happens to be a contemporary hot spot for drug deals!
The night life in Athens is...it's what kept us in Athens the whole time instead of going to islands like Mykonos and Santorini or Delphi. (Don't be angry, the weather was kind of bad too and not 'island weather.') But, as always seems to be the case for me, we got lucky and met all the right people to really make the trip. One night in particular stands out - read on if you want to be a bit shocked:
Mark and I were completely psyched to see that the Chinese National Acrobat team was going to be in Athens while we were there. We wanted to get tickets so badly that walking for 1.5 hours in the pouring rain (in sandals, of course) seemed like a good idea. As I made my way into the second gas station to ask for directions, a shifty-eyed Greek man w/ shoulder-length hair (yes, he was beautiful) said we were about 7 km away and offered us a ride. YES PLEASE THANK YOU! We hopped in and began a friendship. Antonios was a disgustingly wealthy lava-lamp-seller-turned-mechanical engineer who basically built present-day Athens. He was divorced w/ 2 kids (something he spent many minutes talking about) and very very lonely as he dedicated 12 hours a day to work. Was this his attempt at getting some from me? Probably, but whatever. He ended up buying a ticket to the acrobat show and said he'd pick us up the next night. He did, we went to the show (it was AWESOME!), and then brought us to his flat afterward for some wine (he even bought us our own bottle as a gift to take home). We kept the conversation going (yeah - it got awkward) and the subject of drugs came up when Mark was in the bathroom. I asked if they were a problem w/in the younger population of Athens and he said yes but that he admittedly was a coke user. Then Antonios went to the bathroom several more times and I finally figured out he was doing coke each time. I told Mark but he was a bit too drunk to care at that point which is when my brain turned on and I decided to STOP DRINKING and start making sure we weren't going to die that night. I mean Antonios was our ride home and it appeared as though our night was young...shit.
He proceeded to take us to a Romanian night club filled w/ slutty girls and humongously jacked dudes. I was scared but free drinks were coming and Mark couldn't help himself - he was hammered. Then Antonios asked if we wanted to go to a strip club - now I'd never been to one and Mark said he hadn't either (I saw right through that) - but what better place to do it than in Athens where we somehow meet the nightclub owner, sit VIP, get a free lapdance (Mark), free tequila and food, and free entry? Yeah, you heard right. I forgot to mention that it was also a sex show and I was about 8 feet from a horrific live sex scene. Then Antonios offered us each some coke and I declined. We got home at about 4 that morning - but we were alive.
Anyway Greece became my new favorite place after this trip and is still high up there. The people were very similar to Italians but in general much friendlier. It didn't help that I don't even know the Greek alphabet so when things weren't written in English we were fucked. Several times we encountered people for blocks that spoke no English and therefore couldn't get us home. But that's all part of the adventure. I'll never forget Damareos street (stay there if you ever go - Pagration Youth Hostel).
One highlight of the trip that really reminded Mark and I both of home was playing soccer and basketball w/ some locals at Pagrati Park. Also near the park a small zoo where, for 10 minutes of awe, we watched a ram trying to rape a small goat. It was really disturbing.
Toodles!
Spring Break - Istanbul
What exactly was it that possessed me and tricked me into thinking it would be a magnificent idea to travel, for 11 days straight, w/ a guy named Mark who is an uber meathead? I'm not sure but it turned out to be one of the greatest trips of my life. I can't really get along w/ anybody for 11 days, let alone someone I've only known for 2 months. But it worked and on March 5 Mark and I embarked on an 11 day journey that took us to three countries and two continents. You heard right - I've officially been to Asia! But on to more important things...
We stayed in "Istanbul Hostel" (I recommend it) which happened to be about a 10 minute walk from any and everything you'd want in Istanbul, Turkey. There's the Blue Mosque (have ya heard of it? Google it, you'll be amazed), the AyaSofia, the Topkapi Palace (the children on field trips LOVED Americans), the Basilica Cistern, and the Grand Bazaar in "old Istanbul." The new part across the water is geared toward a younger crowd and is mostly secular. Mark and I spent a night there which I really don't remember at all if ya dig what I mean...But when we were there during the day we climbed (by elevator) the Galata Tower which overlooks both the old city, new city, and Asian parts of Istanbul. It is a huge freaking place - 14 million people and it goes on for miles and miles. The next day we took a boat to the Asian part (technically the Middle East, and you could kind of tell) where there were little to no tourists and being 6'2'' w/ blonde hair, Mark made us stick out like sore thumbs. But Istanbul is also home to some of the most friendly people in the world (I can't decide if it's their nature or just a way to get us to buy things). Either way we were treated to many free teas, coffee, and the like by the Turkish people.
The Grand Bazaar is a shopper's paradise as it houses 4,000 shops under one 'roof.' Luckily the Turkish Lira is pretty weak which was convincing enough for me to spend a..shit ton of money. The Turks are damn good salesmen (and I can say men because the women there are somewhat hidden away. I could ask a man a question and they'd always direct the answer to Mark.) I came away w/ a Turkish rug, a Hookah (I don't even smoke hookah), and plenty of gifts for people back home. So I guess I'm saying YOU'RE WELCOME and my parents can't be mad because I hardly bought anything for myself (except some knock off Adidas pants - but hey! Mark bought a matching pair and we wore them to the airport and got on TV for it). So I guess I'm also saying I'm a celebrity in Turkey.
All in all Turkey was a fantastic experience. It was the first place I've visited where the national religion is non-Christian and it's also a place highly threatened by war. But the Turkish were a very peaceful people (aside from an incident early on in the trip in which we saw a man getting beaten in the head w/ a baton - remotely horrifying).
We stayed in "Istanbul Hostel" (I recommend it) which happened to be about a 10 minute walk from any and everything you'd want in Istanbul, Turkey. There's the Blue Mosque (have ya heard of it? Google it, you'll be amazed), the AyaSofia, the Topkapi Palace (the children on field trips LOVED Americans), the Basilica Cistern, and the Grand Bazaar in "old Istanbul." The new part across the water is geared toward a younger crowd and is mostly secular. Mark and I spent a night there which I really don't remember at all if ya dig what I mean...But when we were there during the day we climbed (by elevator) the Galata Tower which overlooks both the old city, new city, and Asian parts of Istanbul. It is a huge freaking place - 14 million people and it goes on for miles and miles. The next day we took a boat to the Asian part (technically the Middle East, and you could kind of tell) where there were little to no tourists and being 6'2'' w/ blonde hair, Mark made us stick out like sore thumbs. But Istanbul is also home to some of the most friendly people in the world (I can't decide if it's their nature or just a way to get us to buy things). Either way we were treated to many free teas, coffee, and the like by the Turkish people.
The Grand Bazaar is a shopper's paradise as it houses 4,000 shops under one 'roof.' Luckily the Turkish Lira is pretty weak which was convincing enough for me to spend a..shit ton of money. The Turks are damn good salesmen (and I can say men because the women there are somewhat hidden away. I could ask a man a question and they'd always direct the answer to Mark.) I came away w/ a Turkish rug, a Hookah (I don't even smoke hookah), and plenty of gifts for people back home. So I guess I'm saying YOU'RE WELCOME and my parents can't be mad because I hardly bought anything for myself (except some knock off Adidas pants - but hey! Mark bought a matching pair and we wore them to the airport and got on TV for it). So I guess I'm also saying I'm a celebrity in Turkey.
All in all Turkey was a fantastic experience. It was the first place I've visited where the national religion is non-Christian and it's also a place highly threatened by war. But the Turkish were a very peaceful people (aside from an incident early on in the trip in which we saw a man getting beaten in the head w/ a baton - remotely horrifying).
Sunday, March 1, 2009
Venice on a budget
...or my night as a vagabond.
Venice is a beautiful city, at a distance. Okay that's unfair - it's a really beautiful place when you're there, too, it's quite a maze - the buildings are packed tightly together and every four turns or so is a large piazza or campo where there are vendors and children at play. The best sights to see are San Marco and the Frari church. I didn't go into the Frari church as it was, after all, "Venice on a budget" and I couldn't spare the 3 euro entry fee. However San Marco housed likely the most beautiful church I've ever seen (yes, even grander than IL VATICANO) - all the paintings were mosaic, ALL OF THEM! It was gorgeous not to mention on the coast of the Mediterranean. And Venice is all about glass. Murano, an island that's technically a part of Venice, imports glass to the bigger island and to places all around. The pieces are beautiful and inexpensive depending where you shop. I bought a ring (it's broken by now) that was very cheap as well as gifts for Kelsey and Lara. They are splendid!
It was my first time taking a flight from Italy and everything went smoothly. I accidentally booked myself as 'priority' so I was one of the first people on the plane which was absolutely unnecessary. That made for some funny jokes along the trip.
But back to Venice - it's a smelly place. It's technically on the sea and all the 'streets' are made of river water and aside from small bridges to cross, you can only use a water bus or a gondola. We rode a gondola for too much money but it was a nice way to see the city. We stayed at a hostel that was in a prime location for food and gifts, and it had a kitchen so we cooked the first night. For whatever reason we decided not to have a hostel for the second night because we didn't want to pay for one since our flight was early the next day. We decided to get drunk at the train station on cheap wine to keep us warm, but that buzz only lasted until about 1 am. That was not nearly long enough to make us forget about the cold. It was around 25 degrees and somewhat windy. We wandered around the city and snuck into two hotel lobbies before getting kicked out of both. We slept near a homeless man who was extremely gassy for about 45 minutes. After killing about an hour from wandering and bartering for a place to stay (in vain) we went back to the train station to find that it had closed. WHAT THE HELL ARE WE TO DO?! So we stayed outside of the train station, huddled on the steps until it opened back up at 4:30. Then we proceeded to go home on our 8 am flight. I had never been so happy for warmth (p.s. I was wearing sandals the entire time).
In all Venice was a fantastic time. It was quite expensive naturally but we were able to keep things pretty decent. The scenery was beautiful and Mo and I got kicked out of two campos playing soccer w/ some 12 year olds. They loved us and it was fun letting go and playing with the younger kids.
I miss you all! -- Off to Istanbul and Athens on Thursday for spring break. 'Til then!
Venice is a beautiful city, at a distance. Okay that's unfair - it's a really beautiful place when you're there, too, it's quite a maze - the buildings are packed tightly together and every four turns or so is a large piazza or campo where there are vendors and children at play. The best sights to see are San Marco and the Frari church. I didn't go into the Frari church as it was, after all, "Venice on a budget" and I couldn't spare the 3 euro entry fee. However San Marco housed likely the most beautiful church I've ever seen (yes, even grander than IL VATICANO) - all the paintings were mosaic, ALL OF THEM! It was gorgeous not to mention on the coast of the Mediterranean. And Venice is all about glass. Murano, an island that's technically a part of Venice, imports glass to the bigger island and to places all around. The pieces are beautiful and inexpensive depending where you shop. I bought a ring (it's broken by now) that was very cheap as well as gifts for Kelsey and Lara. They are splendid!
It was my first time taking a flight from Italy and everything went smoothly. I accidentally booked myself as 'priority' so I was one of the first people on the plane which was absolutely unnecessary. That made for some funny jokes along the trip.
But back to Venice - it's a smelly place. It's technically on the sea and all the 'streets' are made of river water and aside from small bridges to cross, you can only use a water bus or a gondola. We rode a gondola for too much money but it was a nice way to see the city. We stayed at a hostel that was in a prime location for food and gifts, and it had a kitchen so we cooked the first night. For whatever reason we decided not to have a hostel for the second night because we didn't want to pay for one since our flight was early the next day. We decided to get drunk at the train station on cheap wine to keep us warm, but that buzz only lasted until about 1 am. That was not nearly long enough to make us forget about the cold. It was around 25 degrees and somewhat windy. We wandered around the city and snuck into two hotel lobbies before getting kicked out of both. We slept near a homeless man who was extremely gassy for about 45 minutes. After killing about an hour from wandering and bartering for a place to stay (in vain) we went back to the train station to find that it had closed. WHAT THE HELL ARE WE TO DO?! So we stayed outside of the train station, huddled on the steps until it opened back up at 4:30. Then we proceeded to go home on our 8 am flight. I had never been so happy for warmth (p.s. I was wearing sandals the entire time).
In all Venice was a fantastic time. It was quite expensive naturally but we were able to keep things pretty decent. The scenery was beautiful and Mo and I got kicked out of two campos playing soccer w/ some 12 year olds. They loved us and it was fun letting go and playing with the younger kids.
I miss you all! -- Off to Istanbul and Athens on Thursday for spring break. 'Til then!
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
I can die happy
Greetings one and all-
I have officially been to the most glorious place on earth, coincidentally called Monaco. I promise I didn't enjoy the place just because it's called Monaco. Stick with me on this blog, I think it's gonna be a long one.
A little background information on Monaco itself - it's a 'principality' meaning its government is run by a Prince (Albert, currently), its national language is French and is one of I believe 3 countries who have an established national religion: Catholicism. Monaco is about as big as Central Park (yet I have no clue how big Central Park is, but you get the idea maybe) and is inhabited by 30,000 people. The catch? Only 6,000 of said residents are actually citizens. Yes only 30% of the people who call their home 'Monaco' are actually allowed to vote or claim citizenship in the country. The rest fall to either France or Italy. That's another beauty of Monaco, it's located at the very southeast corner of France (near Menton) but is about a 10 minute drive from Ventimiglia, Italy. Most people in Monaco speak French primarily but all seem to know Italian fluently and very small amount of English. I traveled with my friend Abbey as she had a connection with a 75 year old woman that happened to be Monagasque (a citizen) by marriage. WOW! Her 2.5 million euro condo was just big enough to fit the three of us and overlooks the Cote d'Azur (blue coast - French Riviera). At night or on a clear day you can see both France and Italy from most points in Monaco. And the weather was beautiful. Check my facebook in the next coming days for pictures tagged of me in Monaco, and I'll be sure to bring some home on my jump drive.
Having gone to Monaco I realized it was the first time I've actually spent a significant amount of time with non-native English speakers since my time abroad. What a mistake that has been - I met the most interesting people I've ever encountered in my short time in Monaco and plan on going back in April. Not to mention two of the guys - Marco and Ben - are traveling Route 66 (something most Americans take for granted) in June and I've offered them a good time in St. Louis and Kansas if they so happen to want to stop there.
I've written in a notebook quite literally every detail of my trip to Monaco, but I don't think it would translate well without my verbal excitement, so here I will list a few highlights:
All free meals - I ate seafood for the first time, really, and it was fresh and delightful. And expensive (but free!!)
Everything in sight said my last name on it. Yes I have an ego.
I spent next to nothing there (hi mom and pa!)
Stole lemons from an old man's yard and he made us throw them back. Lemons?! This man makes upwards of 1,000,000/year and I can't steal two lemons?!
Got a private tour of the casino and held 500,000 euros in my hand. Daaaaamn!!
I wasn't allowed in to the Hotel de Paris restuarant because I was wearing sandals. Fuck.
Home cooked meal by two beautiful Frenchman. I now understand the romanticism of the French. It is real, mothereffers! I tell you, it's real.
The problem with Monaco is that it is an attempt at a utopia. There's no begging allowed, there are no poor people, crime is not published in the newspapers, etc. People there are not exposed to much. That's probably unfair to say, but where are the poor people? Visiting there made me realize how much I want to help. I want to take and I want to give back. There are people living the ritziest lifestyles in Monaco while more than half of the population questions their survival daily. It's time GIVE. Thank you, Monaco, for teaching me that.
I have officially been to the most glorious place on earth, coincidentally called Monaco. I promise I didn't enjoy the place just because it's called Monaco. Stick with me on this blog, I think it's gonna be a long one.
A little background information on Monaco itself - it's a 'principality' meaning its government is run by a Prince (Albert, currently), its national language is French and is one of I believe 3 countries who have an established national religion: Catholicism. Monaco is about as big as Central Park (yet I have no clue how big Central Park is, but you get the idea maybe) and is inhabited by 30,000 people. The catch? Only 6,000 of said residents are actually citizens. Yes only 30% of the people who call their home 'Monaco' are actually allowed to vote or claim citizenship in the country. The rest fall to either France or Italy. That's another beauty of Monaco, it's located at the very southeast corner of France (near Menton) but is about a 10 minute drive from Ventimiglia, Italy. Most people in Monaco speak French primarily but all seem to know Italian fluently and very small amount of English. I traveled with my friend Abbey as she had a connection with a 75 year old woman that happened to be Monagasque (a citizen) by marriage. WOW! Her 2.5 million euro condo was just big enough to fit the three of us and overlooks the Cote d'Azur (blue coast - French Riviera). At night or on a clear day you can see both France and Italy from most points in Monaco. And the weather was beautiful. Check my facebook in the next coming days for pictures tagged of me in Monaco, and I'll be sure to bring some home on my jump drive.
Having gone to Monaco I realized it was the first time I've actually spent a significant amount of time with non-native English speakers since my time abroad. What a mistake that has been - I met the most interesting people I've ever encountered in my short time in Monaco and plan on going back in April. Not to mention two of the guys - Marco and Ben - are traveling Route 66 (something most Americans take for granted) in June and I've offered them a good time in St. Louis and Kansas if they so happen to want to stop there.
I've written in a notebook quite literally every detail of my trip to Monaco, but I don't think it would translate well without my verbal excitement, so here I will list a few highlights:
All free meals - I ate seafood for the first time, really, and it was fresh and delightful. And expensive (but free!!)
Everything in sight said my last name on it. Yes I have an ego.
I spent next to nothing there (hi mom and pa!)
Stole lemons from an old man's yard and he made us throw them back. Lemons?! This man makes upwards of 1,000,000/year and I can't steal two lemons?!
Got a private tour of the casino and held 500,000 euros in my hand. Daaaaamn!!
I wasn't allowed in to the Hotel de Paris restuarant because I was wearing sandals. Fuck.
Home cooked meal by two beautiful Frenchman. I now understand the romanticism of the French. It is real, mothereffers! I tell you, it's real.
The problem with Monaco is that it is an attempt at a utopia. There's no begging allowed, there are no poor people, crime is not published in the newspapers, etc. People there are not exposed to much. That's probably unfair to say, but where are the poor people? Visiting there made me realize how much I want to help. I want to take and I want to give back. There are people living the ritziest lifestyles in Monaco while more than half of the population questions their survival daily. It's time GIVE. Thank you, Monaco, for teaching me that.
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
It's hard to study when you're abroad.
Let me just start this off on a sad note. I got wind that the Jayhawks lost to Mizzou last night in a basketball game. Now I've been disconnected for a month or so but when I last left the Jawhawks after watching their win against Tennessee at Allen Fieldhouse I thought we were on the upswing. Regardless - MUCK FIZZOU you dirty SOBs. Apologies.
Well I've finally felt a personal connection to the downfall of the economy. Okay that's not entirely true, but I was 'laid off' from that job that I told you all about just recently. That's right, I sent the first leg of the project to my boss (the associate dean of students) and he responded w/ 'Great work, Elise! But I've already handed out the rest of the tapes. I'll pay you when I can this week and will see if I have any work I can find for you over the rest of the semester.' What an ass. I do an excellent job for him and was very excited to continue and complete the project. I also spent a lot of time trying to clean up his reputation w/ the students (he comes off as sort of an...asshole to put it lightly) but I will no longer defend him as he has pretty much screwed me over.
This week I've started to feel the heat - people that have studied abroad in the past rarely ever mention the actual STUDYING part. In fact, if I remember correctly they said school is easy as all get-out and can hardly be taken seriously. Problem is I decided to sort of 'take it easy' these past few years and have no room left to do so. So while everyone else is out taking day trips and drinking Peroni, I'm stuck inside studying when I take breaks from 'surfing the 'net.' It's just hard not to want to plan a bunch of trips when I have kayak.com and ryanair at my fingertips. In fact in two weeks I think I'm going on a long awaited trip to Monaco - one of the richest places on this earth (cue laughter). It's kind of ridiculous sounding and fantastical, but I just have to visit it, if only because of the name. Plus I'm staying at a friend of a friend's condo of some sort and I can't pass that up.
(Side note: my friend Joe just walked in, WASTED, after doing karaoke in the cafe downstairs. He traipsed down the hall in his teeny boxers and low cut shirt. I just want him to read this at some point. He just tried to hop down from my bed and said "Whoopsy, ball sac!" because he fell down. HAHAHA). Okay I'm sorry, that's borderline inappropriate.
Today I went down near the Vatican w/ my friend Mark as we embarked on what turned out to be quite an adventure to the Sistine Chapel. Both of us have very little spatial intelligence, and as Rome isn't necessarily laid out to suit someone unfamiliar, we got somewhat lost. We got to the Vatican and found out that no, the museum which houses the Sistine Chapel is not underneath St. Peter's Basilica. It was closed by the time we figured out where it was, so we made our way to the Napoleon exhibit in Trastevere. But then we didn't know how to get there, either...so we ended up in this beautiful more suburban part of Rome and wandered around in search of McDonald's (the kid loves his euro menu cheeseburgers). Couldn't find it so we headed home w/ just enough time to eat dinner in the cafeteria. Mensa has never tasted so good.
Tomorrow I have class from 8am-6:15pm and then calcio w/ a test on Thursday. That means no beer and pizza tomorrow night at calcio, and I could really use it.
This weekend I'll hopefully take a day trip to Florence to see The David and several other cool things I'm unsure of how to spell. We also - and I'm going to document it here so it's law - are GOING TO THE G.D. FLEA MARKET ON SUNDAY. Hope to find you all some nice treasures.
Till then --
Well I've finally felt a personal connection to the downfall of the economy. Okay that's not entirely true, but I was 'laid off' from that job that I told you all about just recently. That's right, I sent the first leg of the project to my boss (the associate dean of students) and he responded w/ 'Great work, Elise! But I've already handed out the rest of the tapes. I'll pay you when I can this week and will see if I have any work I can find for you over the rest of the semester.' What an ass. I do an excellent job for him and was very excited to continue and complete the project. I also spent a lot of time trying to clean up his reputation w/ the students (he comes off as sort of an...asshole to put it lightly) but I will no longer defend him as he has pretty much screwed me over.
This week I've started to feel the heat - people that have studied abroad in the past rarely ever mention the actual STUDYING part. In fact, if I remember correctly they said school is easy as all get-out and can hardly be taken seriously. Problem is I decided to sort of 'take it easy' these past few years and have no room left to do so. So while everyone else is out taking day trips and drinking Peroni, I'm stuck inside studying when I take breaks from 'surfing the 'net.' It's just hard not to want to plan a bunch of trips when I have kayak.com and ryanair at my fingertips. In fact in two weeks I think I'm going on a long awaited trip to Monaco - one of the richest places on this earth (cue laughter). It's kind of ridiculous sounding and fantastical, but I just have to visit it, if only because of the name. Plus I'm staying at a friend of a friend's condo of some sort and I can't pass that up.
(Side note: my friend Joe just walked in, WASTED, after doing karaoke in the cafe downstairs. He traipsed down the hall in his teeny boxers and low cut shirt. I just want him to read this at some point. He just tried to hop down from my bed and said "Whoopsy, ball sac!" because he fell down. HAHAHA). Okay I'm sorry, that's borderline inappropriate.
Today I went down near the Vatican w/ my friend Mark as we embarked on what turned out to be quite an adventure to the Sistine Chapel. Both of us have very little spatial intelligence, and as Rome isn't necessarily laid out to suit someone unfamiliar, we got somewhat lost. We got to the Vatican and found out that no, the museum which houses the Sistine Chapel is not underneath St. Peter's Basilica. It was closed by the time we figured out where it was, so we made our way to the Napoleon exhibit in Trastevere. But then we didn't know how to get there, either...so we ended up in this beautiful more suburban part of Rome and wandered around in search of McDonald's (the kid loves his euro menu cheeseburgers). Couldn't find it so we headed home w/ just enough time to eat dinner in the cafeteria. Mensa has never tasted so good.
Tomorrow I have class from 8am-6:15pm and then calcio w/ a test on Thursday. That means no beer and pizza tomorrow night at calcio, and I could really use it.
This weekend I'll hopefully take a day trip to Florence to see The David and several other cool things I'm unsure of how to spell. We also - and I'm going to document it here so it's law - are GOING TO THE G.D. FLEA MARKET ON SUNDAY. Hope to find you all some nice treasures.
Till then --
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Buzzkill
Don't mind if I do rant for a moment. You know what sucks about being abroad? I still get all of those e-mails from people like James (my boss at the rec. who, no joke, sends out at least two e-mails/day) and my advisor, Peggy. Now, I love Peggy, and James is alright, but it is SUCH a buzzkill to constantly be reminded that I will one day return to the states and be back to real life. I have no desire to spend time looking at schedule possibilities for my senior year and certainly don't want to begin registration. That being said, those of you that read this - I'd like you to know that I miss you all dearly. If I could, I would bring you all to Rome, but my budget doesn't allow it and one more overdraw fee may give my mother a stroke.
I got a letter from Lara a couple days ago and I don't think I've ever been so excited to receive a piece of mail. Not only is Lara an amazing writer who made the most mundane facts of her life entertaining, but it was nice to have a piece of home here to look back and laugh about.
We've started playing 'calcio' which is the same as soccer (I know! I thought it was called futbol) and I'm on the brown team which is quite fitting as we are fucking terrible. Realize I haven't played soccer since high school and I'm quite positively the star athlete on my team. It's a blast though, even in my ultra-competitive nature. Perhaps because promptly after the games we proceed to 'Beer and Pizza' which is a 3-beer stein and cheese pizza for 10 euro. Truly every person at my school goes and just nearly drunk in a huge restaurant that stays open really late. Problem is it makes getting up for my 8 'o' clock class a real bitch.
Today marks the weekend and I am really excited. It's not so much that I have huge plans (as I'm still at negative something-or-other in the bank account) but some borrowed money will get me a day train to Assisi (hellooooo St. Francis) and then back to Rome for a weekend-full of homework and work-work. Next week starts the beginning of tests so expect me to be baggy-eyed and thin-tailed (get it? Like NOT bright-eyed and bushy-tailed) for the next few days.
Arrivederci!
I got a letter from Lara a couple days ago and I don't think I've ever been so excited to receive a piece of mail. Not only is Lara an amazing writer who made the most mundane facts of her life entertaining, but it was nice to have a piece of home here to look back and laugh about.
We've started playing 'calcio' which is the same as soccer (I know! I thought it was called futbol) and I'm on the brown team which is quite fitting as we are fucking terrible. Realize I haven't played soccer since high school and I'm quite positively the star athlete on my team. It's a blast though, even in my ultra-competitive nature. Perhaps because promptly after the games we proceed to 'Beer and Pizza' which is a 3-beer stein and cheese pizza for 10 euro. Truly every person at my school goes and just nearly drunk in a huge restaurant that stays open really late. Problem is it makes getting up for my 8 'o' clock class a real bitch.
Today marks the weekend and I am really excited. It's not so much that I have huge plans (as I'm still at negative something-or-other in the bank account) but some borrowed money will get me a day train to Assisi (hellooooo St. Francis) and then back to Rome for a weekend-full of homework and work-work. Next week starts the beginning of tests so expect me to be baggy-eyed and thin-tailed (get it? Like NOT bright-eyed and bushy-tailed) for the next few days.
Arrivederci!
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Cheers one and all!
It has been a hectic past few days here in Rome. I began my volunteer work at the refugee center on Wednesday and it has been an amazing experience, even after one day. The men that use the center are from Western Africa and Afghanistan and know very little English. It's been hard trying to develop a lesson plan for someone that has absolutely no knowledge of the language, I just don't know where to begin! But it will be a challenge for all of us that I'm excited to take on. The most important part of my time spent there to me is developing a friendship with the people I encounter. It's odd to think that the 'gypsies' and 'vultures' of the streets are the people I'm working with. I hope that I'm able to spread the word that these men and women are just that - people like us that are being exploited and oppressed by the Italian bureaucracy.
On a lighter note, I have a funny story. The other night I went out to a bar in Trestavere (that's where Lucas Strittmatter is staying - no, we did not meet up) which is near the Vatican. That's probably 4 miles away which doesn't sound like much, but it's a windy twisty walk home. Yes, I said WALK. Anyway long story short, I ended up climbing a fence into a no trespassing area and finding a place that overlooked the city. I then proceeded to get ridiculously lost and took 2 1/2 hours to get home. (Don't worry I was with a friend). We also attempted to ride a boat down the Tiber River, got it untied and everything and started paddling before my friend Joe reminded me it was a gypsy's boat and I realized I didn't want to steal the locomotive of a gypsy. So we tied it back up and went on our merry way.
Last night we went back to Trestavere and went to an all-you-can-drink for 15 euro. You could truly get ANY drink/shot/mixer (except beer) and it was insane. I don't think I'll ever go back there.
Today I went to the Vatican and actually went into St. Peter's Basilica and saw the Pieta and all that neat stuff. And it was REALLY REALLY neat and beautiful. I accidentally cursed several times (surprise!)
I got a job! I listen to audio tapes for the dean of students and then write down what's being said...exciting, no? Doesn't matter because it pays 10 euro an hour which is a fucking GOLDMINE. Tomorrow I'm headed to the flea market (don't worry Mom and Pa I won't spend too much!)
Buonanotte.
It has been a hectic past few days here in Rome. I began my volunteer work at the refugee center on Wednesday and it has been an amazing experience, even after one day. The men that use the center are from Western Africa and Afghanistan and know very little English. It's been hard trying to develop a lesson plan for someone that has absolutely no knowledge of the language, I just don't know where to begin! But it will be a challenge for all of us that I'm excited to take on. The most important part of my time spent there to me is developing a friendship with the people I encounter. It's odd to think that the 'gypsies' and 'vultures' of the streets are the people I'm working with. I hope that I'm able to spread the word that these men and women are just that - people like us that are being exploited and oppressed by the Italian bureaucracy.
On a lighter note, I have a funny story. The other night I went out to a bar in Trestavere (that's where Lucas Strittmatter is staying - no, we did not meet up) which is near the Vatican. That's probably 4 miles away which doesn't sound like much, but it's a windy twisty walk home. Yes, I said WALK. Anyway long story short, I ended up climbing a fence into a no trespassing area and finding a place that overlooked the city. I then proceeded to get ridiculously lost and took 2 1/2 hours to get home. (Don't worry I was with a friend). We also attempted to ride a boat down the Tiber River, got it untied and everything and started paddling before my friend Joe reminded me it was a gypsy's boat and I realized I didn't want to steal the locomotive of a gypsy. So we tied it back up and went on our merry way.
Last night we went back to Trestavere and went to an all-you-can-drink for 15 euro. You could truly get ANY drink/shot/mixer (except beer) and it was insane. I don't think I'll ever go back there.
Today I went to the Vatican and actually went into St. Peter's Basilica and saw the Pieta and all that neat stuff. And it was REALLY REALLY neat and beautiful. I accidentally cursed several times (surprise!)
I got a job! I listen to audio tapes for the dean of students and then write down what's being said...exciting, no? Doesn't matter because it pays 10 euro an hour which is a fucking GOLDMINE. Tomorrow I'm headed to the flea market (don't worry Mom and Pa I won't spend too much!)
Buonanotte.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
The Days Seem Longer Here...
Today I didn't leave the building except for going on a 10 minute walk so my friend Mark could talk about taking a girl's virginity in Croatia. As much as I enjoyed that (and indeed, I did) I wish I could've stayed outside longer. The problem with the John Felice Rome Center is it is not only our dorm, it is our source of food as well as where all of our classes are located. We also have a doctor here so theoretically I could never leave the place and easily survive. Okay that's not the point - I still managed to have an awesome day hardly even venturing outside of the premises. I guess this is just a testament to the school and how I really enjoy it.
My friend Mo and I went to an aerobics class and got our asses whooped by a small Italian woman that was completely jacked and wanted us to learn to be sexy. I'm all for that so I worked my ass off and then proceeded to go to an Egyptian bellydancing class later on after dinner where an older bitchy woman taught us the basics of a bellydance. As mean as she was she said one thing that stuck with me - "Women aren't meant to have flat stomachs. Women are meant to have curvy tummies and this will help." I yelled out "Amen!" in excitement.
Tomorrow is my first day doing on-site volunteer work at a place called the Joel Nafuma Refugee Center. From what I've heard I'll be teaching a class of Africans and Bangladeshians (?) how to speak remedial to advanced English. I'm really excited about it even though it's at 8 am. I have a great interest in social justice in Italy because from what I know, in particular the treatment of people with mild to severe disabilities. I wanted to work in a community center for people with disabilities but it appears as though there aren't any. Perhaps I could begin advocating here in Rome!
My parents and I have had a discussion (via facebook chat, of course) and it appears as though I need to settle down on the spending so I plan on spending the next few weeks traveling around the free parts of Rome. That is really exciting as we have so many cool places to go - so look for updates!
-Elise
My friend Mo and I went to an aerobics class and got our asses whooped by a small Italian woman that was completely jacked and wanted us to learn to be sexy. I'm all for that so I worked my ass off and then proceeded to go to an Egyptian bellydancing class later on after dinner where an older bitchy woman taught us the basics of a bellydance. As mean as she was she said one thing that stuck with me - "Women aren't meant to have flat stomachs. Women are meant to have curvy tummies and this will help." I yelled out "Amen!" in excitement.
Tomorrow is my first day doing on-site volunteer work at a place called the Joel Nafuma Refugee Center. From what I've heard I'll be teaching a class of Africans and Bangladeshians (?) how to speak remedial to advanced English. I'm really excited about it even though it's at 8 am. I have a great interest in social justice in Italy because from what I know, in particular the treatment of people with mild to severe disabilities. I wanted to work in a community center for people with disabilities but it appears as though there aren't any. Perhaps I could begin advocating here in Rome!
My parents and I have had a discussion (via facebook chat, of course) and it appears as though I need to settle down on the spending so I plan on spending the next few weeks traveling around the free parts of Rome. That is really exciting as we have so many cool places to go - so look for updates!
-Elise
Monday, January 26, 2009
We have some catching up to do...
Good day one and everyone-
As I'm a brat and am getting tired of repeating my travel stories to all billion people that want to hear them, I will now be blogging every so often (hopefully at least once a week) to keep anyone that's interested in-the-know. I arrived in Rome (specifically a location called Montemario in the Balduina neighborhood) on the 9th of January w/ very little knowledge of locations outside of the U.S. and even less knowledge of the language. My background in Spanish has both helped and hindered my learning the Italian language as many words are similar but the grammatics are quite different.
The great part about the John Felice Rome Center (the school I'm at through Loyola Chicago) is that they do a 4 day orientation involving trips around the immediate neighborhood as well as travels to locations in Montecassino (about 2 hours away), Hadrian's Villa (about 1 hour away), and most importantly Sienna (in Tuscany, about 3 hours away).
Here is a condensed version of what has happened so far. The subsequent entries will be less formal and far more interesting I'm sure:
blessed by the Pope at the papal audience on Wednesday 1/21/09 (he sneezed and my friend said "God bless you." It was a riot. He speaks in about 5 different languages which is quite a bore but also funny because his English may as well be Italian because he has a very heavy accent.
Visited Trevi Fountain, got lots of gelato, haven't been blown away by the pizza in Italy quite yet, the Spanish Steps, the Roman Forum and Collaseum (yes, I had CLASS at those two places).
I just got back last night (early this morning) from Interlaken, Switzerland which is the most beautiful place in the world, probably, or at least that I've ever visited. I skiied in the Swiss Alps, had some Absinthe, danced my ass off in a happenin' club/pub, went skydiving over the mountains, and ate the best pizza I've ever had in my life. Also met several ridiculously hot guys - the German/Swiss people absolutely love Americans. When we went skiing it was on a day they have a ski race called the 'Inferno' which only happens once a year. Basically a bunch of middle-aged men do cross-country and downhill skiing for the whole day and then get wasted and rowdy at the base of the mountain afterward. After my trip skiing a friend and I ate cheese fondu at the base of the mountain and had an espresso/ice cream/whipped cream dessert. YESS. As you may've guessed I have overdrafted from my bank account and now need to settle the spending down (this is the first time my parents have heard this: Sorry!)
We also celebrated my birthday the first week which I was kind of dreading. Luckily by then I had made an amazing..absolutely AMAZING group of friends that helped me celebrate by buying me drinks at a pub called The Abbey and then proceeding to care for my vomiting self as I celebrated a birthday the only way you're supposed to (American-style). I probably won't get that drunk again here as I'm really starting to adapt the one glass of wine at dinner mentality.
That should do for now. Check back soon for an update - I actually quite enjoyed writing it and hope you got through to the end!
-Elise
As I'm a brat and am getting tired of repeating my travel stories to all billion people that want to hear them, I will now be blogging every so often (hopefully at least once a week) to keep anyone that's interested in-the-know. I arrived in Rome (specifically a location called Montemario in the Balduina neighborhood) on the 9th of January w/ very little knowledge of locations outside of the U.S. and even less knowledge of the language. My background in Spanish has both helped and hindered my learning the Italian language as many words are similar but the grammatics are quite different.
The great part about the John Felice Rome Center (the school I'm at through Loyola Chicago) is that they do a 4 day orientation involving trips around the immediate neighborhood as well as travels to locations in Montecassino (about 2 hours away), Hadrian's Villa (about 1 hour away), and most importantly Sienna (in Tuscany, about 3 hours away).
Here is a condensed version of what has happened so far. The subsequent entries will be less formal and far more interesting I'm sure:
blessed by the Pope at the papal audience on Wednesday 1/21/09 (he sneezed and my friend said "God bless you." It was a riot. He speaks in about 5 different languages which is quite a bore but also funny because his English may as well be Italian because he has a very heavy accent.
Visited Trevi Fountain, got lots of gelato, haven't been blown away by the pizza in Italy quite yet, the Spanish Steps, the Roman Forum and Collaseum (yes, I had CLASS at those two places).
I just got back last night (early this morning) from Interlaken, Switzerland which is the most beautiful place in the world, probably, or at least that I've ever visited. I skiied in the Swiss Alps, had some Absinthe, danced my ass off in a happenin' club/pub, went skydiving over the mountains, and ate the best pizza I've ever had in my life. Also met several ridiculously hot guys - the German/Swiss people absolutely love Americans. When we went skiing it was on a day they have a ski race called the 'Inferno' which only happens once a year. Basically a bunch of middle-aged men do cross-country and downhill skiing for the whole day and then get wasted and rowdy at the base of the mountain afterward. After my trip skiing a friend and I ate cheese fondu at the base of the mountain and had an espresso/ice cream/whipped cream dessert. YESS. As you may've guessed I have overdrafted from my bank account and now need to settle the spending down (this is the first time my parents have heard this: Sorry!)
We also celebrated my birthday the first week which I was kind of dreading. Luckily by then I had made an amazing..absolutely AMAZING group of friends that helped me celebrate by buying me drinks at a pub called The Abbey and then proceeding to care for my vomiting self as I celebrated a birthday the only way you're supposed to (American-style). I probably won't get that drunk again here as I'm really starting to adapt the one glass of wine at dinner mentality.
That should do for now. Check back soon for an update - I actually quite enjoyed writing it and hope you got through to the end!
-Elise
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