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A look back at Fall Break

November 14, 2010 / Amber Will / 0 Comments

I did say I would write more about fall break, and now since I feel like I have finally had some time to relax, this is the perfect time. My break was planned in a way to basically encircle Germany to hit all of the destinations too far away for just a weekend trip. Most of this excursion was spent with my boyfriend, my roommate, and my boyfriend’s roommate. Four people on an experience of a lifetime.

I can honestly say that Istanbul was the most worthwhile destination; however, I wrote about that before and will not bore anyone with further details… just go there are see it for yourself! Rather than take time for that, I just wanted to write about my overall impressions about each destination: this will give a general feel for the area and also allow me to relive my travels.

After Istanbul, Matt, Brenna, and I went to Athens and Mykonos in Greece. Athens was a short trip, with more time devoted to the picturesque qualities of the Greek island. The weather was perfect while we were there adding to the overall allure to the city. Matt and I rented ATVs and drove around the entire island going beach hopping to wherever the map looked interesting. The time in Mykonos was pure relaxation and resort-like satisfaction. When we went back to Athens a few days later, we had to hit up the entire city in a short morning. Walking around at a decent pace to make sure we hit all of the monuments got to be tiring, but we ended up seeing everything we wanted to in a few hours.

Matt and I in front of the Temple of Hephasius, Athens

And let me tell you, I was geeking out to the max. Being a history major, I was enthralled to see all of the ruins left around Athens. The Acropolis was definitely jaw dropping, but I appreciated the Temple of Hephasius even more. This temple is the oldest remaining building of its kind, and it is still in such pristine condition. To stand in front of such perfect history like that gave me the chills and a look onto the world that is ever changing. No matter how little of importance you think something may be, in a thousand years people could be standing looking at our newest building thinking it was the most perfect historic monument. Freaky cool.

After our historic adventures in Greece, we traveled quickly to Rome. I have previously been to Rome in the past, and this visit was a quick review to what I have already seen. Unfortunately I didn’t get to the catacombs like I had planned, but I revisited the Vatican museum and took in the glory of the Sistine Chapel once more. This masterpiece does not need any words but only full dedication. It is a truly magnificent piece of art that has a lot of hidden jokes throughout. Props to Michelangelo.

Matt and I in front of an Amsterdam Canal

The north was next. Amsterdam was a beautiful city with water everywhere you looked. Besides some untimely rain, all of the experiences here were worthwhile. We were able to see the Van Gogh Museum, which is not worth the money but nice nonetheless. I again geeked out at the Anne Frank House, but we didn’t have time to go inside. This city is so great to walk around in though because you can get so completely lost without feeling you are doomed. The city looks too inviting to present any real danger. Just watch your purses in the red light district!

Copenhagen and Stockholm were both beautiful cities. We didn’t find too many touristic sites in either city, so we just spent most of our time walking around and thinking about the Dominoes we were going to order in Copenhagen. Copenhagen also has a part of the city called Christiana, which is a self governed section and gave me the extreme heeby-jeebies. Never going back there again. Stockholm was by far the coldest weather we encountered. The sun also set at about 3:30pm there, which did not do well for my freezing toes or my desire to actually see the city. Overall, this trip helped me grow in ways I didn’t imagine and take in sites I had only seen in my history text books. A well planned and well executed way to spend 17 days.

The Magic of Dance

The other night, my friends and I attended “Muestra de Baile” here on campus in which students from the university performed a variety of dances from around the world. For those of you from Valpo, this is similar to the spectacular Dance Ensemble put on every year.

The very beautiful and seductive moves of Polynesian dancing.

The “Muestra de Baile” took the audience in a dancing journey that featured nine types of dance including salsa, folkloric, hip hop, Polynesian and more. It was fascinating to watch the dancers (mostly Mexican students with a few international students) as they swayed, popped and maneuvered their bodies to a variety of beats and rhythms.

Hip Hip to Usher-yes, in Mexico!

I couldn’t help but think that the hip hop piece that had Mexican students dancing to the very contemporary (and very attractive) Usher was simply globalization in dance form. While there was a modern vibe to the program, it also featured traditional Mexican folkloric dance from Veracruz. The couple that did this particular piece wooed the crowd with delicate steps but with a certain richness that made me so happy to be living in this country. My particular favorite was the traditional African dance. The beats were so raw and pure and made the performance incredibly energizing as the dancers shook their bodies.

The “Muestra de Baile” exemplified that dance illustrates the beauty of cultures and tempts an individual to learn more about a culture. As we gaze on the dancer, our eyes take on their movements and physical interpretation of the music. Whether it is seductive moves of Polynesian dancing or the raw vibrancy of the African dancing, it stirs up a hidden (and sometimes unspoken) desire and energy inside our souls that inspires us to transfer that to our bodies.

Traditional Mexican folkloric from Veracruz

This is the magic of dance. It inspires up to project energy from our souls to our bodies-if we allow ourselves to embrace it. Whether it is Polynesican, hip hop, the tango or whatever it may be, learn to dance. Allow rhythms and beats to transcend into your soul and into your beautiful body-it really is magical.

Some Snapshots of this Mexican Life….

November 9, 2010 / Lydia Mertz / 0 Comments

My Valpo friend Erin and I at a recent birthday party. The theme was the letter “P”-she was a padre and I was a professor!

Inside the beautiful San Andres church. At one point, this church underwent major reconstruction after the roof fell in-it looks brand new!

Tapas

November 9, 2010 / John Webster / 0 Comments

Tapas: small Spanish savoury dishes , typically served with drinks at a bar. Origin: Spanish tapa, literally ‘cover, lid’ (because the dishes were given free with the drink, served on a dish balanced on, therefore ‘covering’, the glass).

I would correct this definition from Oxforddictionaries.com with the present tense, “are.” Well, in part. The tradition of free tapas only remains in the province of Granada, and they don’t balance the tapa on top of the drink anymore, thankfully if you ask me. You may have had tapas in America, possibly at a Tapas Bar, there’s a good one in Indianapolis I believe. You also might have told someone about such a tapas bar, only to have them stare at you and quietly ask “a topless bar?” Clearly you have no such problem here in Granada.

A little while ago I began some independent searching on Calle Navas, which I have heard is the most famous street for bars in Spain. On Navas you reach a new bar every 4-8 steps, it’s that full of bars. Usually you can get a nice beer or wine for 1.70-3 euros and then, depending on the bar, you get anything from a small serving of Jamón Serrano to whole plate full of Mariscos (seafood, usually clams and the like). Not being a red meat eater and being a little skiddish of clams (although fish are amazing here) I have been a big fan of Patatas a Lo Pobre, which I heartily enjoyed at Bar La Abadía. Athough the bartender was in need of a shower, he was nice enough and left me in peace as I sat outside and reviewed for midterms. What’s great (although sometimes problematic) about Spain is that no one cares how long you stay at their bar or cafe. They won’t even pester you by asking if you want another drink. The problem side is payment, sometimes you have to pretend like you’re leaving in order to get a check. Of course, that can also be quite funny. I really enjoy the relaxed manner of tapas though, sitting uninterrupted for one hour to study over good food and a beer for only 1.70 euro was just what I needed.

Inside Bar La Abadia, it was only 7PM, which is way before most Spaniards start heading out.

Although the origin is disputed, authors hold that The tapas tradition began in the XIII century when King Alfonso X the wise (el sabio) got sick and his doctor advised him to eat small bites of food with sips of wine throughout the day. When the king recovered, he mandated that nowhere in Castilla would wine be served with out a bit of food. Tradition has it that this helped the people avoid alcoholism and provided more food for those that didn´t have much money for protein rich foods. Because the tapa was balanced over the drink, it also prevented flies or other distasteful things from getting into the drink.

So, there you have it. ¡Vamos de tapas! (Let’s go out for tapas!)

Gracias, Madrid

November 8, 2010 / Jeff Harbert / 0 Comments

“Ah, Madrid… you chose the perfect city to visit in Europe.” Those were the words of Javier, an extremely friendly Spanish guy who sat next to me on the flight from London to Madrid during the second week of my two and a half week Fall Break. After four days of being in Spain’s capital, Javier couldn’t have been more correct. What a great city, what a fantastic culture, and what an unforgettable experience in the heart of Spain.

My first taste of Madrid and Spanish culture arrived where most people wouldn’t expect, but for those who know me would hardly come as much of a surprise. Shorty after taking the Metro from Madrid Barajas Airpot to the western part of the city and getting situated at my friend’s apartment, I joined the masses and headed for the Vicente Calderon – the home of Atletico Madrid. Although nowhere near as popular or successful as cross-town rivals and world-renowned European giants Real Madrid, Atletico are one of the best teams in the La Liga, Spain’s first division, and just came off of a season in which they won the Europa Cup.

My first taste of Spanish football

I can’t say that I’m much of an Atletico Madrid fan, but going to a Spanish futbol match was undoubtedly something I just couldn’t pass up. Despite Atetico drawing 1-1 with U.D. Almeria, a smaller club from southern Spain, it was still a highly entertaining match and an experience I’ll never forget. Going to football games in England is one thing, but witnessing the beautiful game in the country that just won the World Cup was an experience of its own. It was without a doubt the perfect way to kick-off my trip to Madrid.

Plaza Monumental de las Ventas

One thing that made my trip successful was the easiness of Madrid’s Metro system. The system is actually the sixth largest in the world, but after a few days of hopping on and off at various locations around the city I found it to be the least complicated of its type that I’ve used before. I suppose it helped that I had been well accustomed to using such modes of transportation through the London Underground. Regardless, Madrid’s Metro was also my cheapest way of traveling around the city with each single trip across the entire network only being 2 euros and a 10 trip ticket costing just 9 euros.

Despite using train several times each day, I spent the majority of my time walking and taking all of the great sights and simply observing people go about their day. At times I walked with absolutely no clue of what direction I was headed in and somehow always arrived at a point of interest. But in a city as richly and historic as Madrid, how could I not? It’s nice to have a plan of where you’re going to go and what you’re going to see on a particular day, but often times it’s refreshing just exploring and getting lost in the magnificence and splendor of such a great city.

Plaza de Cibeles

One of the highlights of my trip was seeing the Palacio Real, the official residence of the King of Spain. I’ve seen Buckingham Palace on numerous occasions and I’ve always been in awe of it, but the Palacio Real might even trump it in my opinion (Sorry Queen Elizabeth!). Along with the Royal Palace, I also visited Plaza Espana, Puerta de Toledo, Plaza Mayor, Almudena Cathedral, the Debod Temple, Puerta del Sol, Plaza de Cibeles, the Santiago Barnebeu, Plaza Monumental de las Ventas and numerous other sights. It was a great couple of days walking around and viewing the sights and embracing everything Madrid has to offer. It was also a wake-up call for me, however. Apparently my Spanish isn’t as good as I thought it was as I found out at about every restaurant I attempted to order food at!

Seeing fascinating buildings and visiting historic sites is great, but in order to truly embrace a country and its culture you have to converse with the people. A sign at the airport when I arrived welcomed me by saying ‘Bienvenidos’, but it was the people in Madrid who really helped me feel welcome in their city. Everywhere I went people were friendly, even if they didn’t speak more than a sentence of English. I’ll always remember Madrid for its beauty and splendor, but I am absolutely certain I will never forget the countless people who chose to make a foreigner like me feel welcome in their remarkable city and wonderful country. Salud, Madrid…

Bear and the El Madroño Tree at Puerta del Sol

Palacio Real

To view more photos from my trip to Madrid visit my album.

Southern Comfort

November 8, 2010 / Christiana Redman / 0 Comments

I’m back from my final travel seminar for the semester! We spent four days near Mariental and Berseba, about 3 hours

The view from the top of Hardapdam, the largest dam in Namibia.

south of Windhoek. The main goal of the trip was to experience the differences between government-, privately-, and community-run organizations and how they relate to sustainability. We stayed in different campsites each night run by each of the different types of organizations.

Some of the highlights included visiting Hardapdam (the largest dam in Namibia),

Planting trees with primary school children in Berseba to beautify their churchyard.

planting trees with primary school students, and Brukkaros Mountain.

Brukkaros Mountain was formed by an explosion when rising magma met

groundwater and superheated it. The campsite at Brukkaros Mountain was run by the community and was very rudimentary because the community refused to sellout to private investors who wanted to build guesthouses on the property. When we stayed there, we got the chance to hike up the mountain early in the morning to see a crater created during the explosion that created the mountain. It was a beautiful hike!

We climbed up the mountain as far as we dared. You can see the crater behind me. Beautiful view!

The final night we were in the south, we stayed at a campsite (complete with shower and toilet!) that has branches all over Namibia. It had a 3-legged philosophy on sustainability that is very unique. It is based on financial stability, conservation, and economic responsibility.

Overall, we had a great weekend and learned a lot. I’m excited to round out the rest of the semester in Windhoek!

“No Matter Where You Go, There You Are” – My Two Week Extravaganza!

November 7, 2010 / Julie Johnson / 0 Comments

It’s no surprise that every study abroad student looks forward to their mid-semester break. It’s shocking how much planning can go into perfecting every little detail of a two-week itinerary, and many long afternoons were spent with our entire house surrounding the kitchen table, double and triple-checking details, and joining in on one another’s plans. I was well aware this trip would be quite the experience, but of course, it was an amazing one.

My trip began on a Friday morning at 5:00 a.m., when I took the bus to London to catch my flight to Athens. It was a long day of traveling, but when I stepped outside of my metro stop and caught my first, breathtaking glimpse of the Acropolis, the entire day was worth it.

Myself in front of the Parthenon!

Despite some of the troubles it has come across in recent times, Greece is such an amazing country. It is incredible how they have maintained their history and culture despite constantly changing times, and seeing all of the ruins was just fascinating. Since I spent four days there, I was able to see the entire city, and really gained a lot of respect and appreciation for the Greeks and how much they enjoy life.

My next stop was Rome, which had been the destination I was most excited for before even coming to Cambridge. Although the weather wasn’t the greatest for parts of my time there, that surely didn’t dampen my spirits or sight-seeing. Seeing St. Peter’s Basilica, the Sistine Chapel, and just the Vatican City in general really blew my mind. As a Catholic, I have heard and learned much about all of these places, and being able to see them in person made me feel very gracious and well in touch with my faith.

Of course, you can’t see Rome without seeing the Colosseum and other fun destinations, so a lot of walking was shoved into the few days I was able to be there. The Colosseum was everything that I had hoped it would be, and although I got lost while looking for the Pantheon, I was able to see quite a bit.

Feels just like the B.C.’s 🙂

The next two stops on my tour of Italy were Venice and Verona, both of which I absolutely fell in love with. Walking around Venice was a blast, and I found myself constantly stopping to take pictures of the sun setting on the canals. It’s definitely a place I would like to visit again, hopefully to spend more time out on the water.

Julie & Juliet! <3

To some people, Verona may seem like sort of a cliche, since it is infamous for being the home of Romeo and Juliet. Although this was the main reason I decided to make it a stop on my trip, I was surprised at how much there was to do and see in Verona, as well as how beautiful of a city it really was. I spent my afternoon there mailing my letter to Juliet, seeing Juliet’s house, and sitting on the stairs of the city hall building, watching the sun set. It was definitely the right way to spend my last full day in Italy.

Getting to the airport for my flight to Barcelona wasn’t the easiest due to a miscommunication and the fact that I at one point got on the wrong train, just to hop off of it moments before it left due to a nice Italian woman who could actually understand me. After being anxious while waiting in a long line to check my bag, I was practically running through the airport and security to make sure I caught my flight, just to see that it was delayed forty minutes. I was actually really thankful for this delay, since it gave me a little bit of time to relax before having to travel yet again. My plane finally landed in Barcelona at around 2:00 a.m, and I have never been so happy to see a hostel bed in my entire life.

It may seem weird that I decided to spend an entire week in Barcelona for the last part of my break, but I must say that it was totally worth it. I was able to see and do so much in Barcelona, and I began to know the city as if it were home. The weather was beautiful (in the mid-70’s), so every day was perfect for walking around, or even hitting the beach. I was able to spend plenty of time with many of the members of the Cambridge group, as well as spend more time with my Reutlingen friends.

View from Park Guell in Barcelona!

I could write paragraph after paragraph about how awesome and eye-opening my two break was, but like Amber, I must admit that I’m pretty exhausted from all the excitement. For now, I’m going to go enjoy being back at the Cambridge Centre with some pumpkin pie :). Ciao, bellas!

What a packed full break

November 7, 2010 / Amber Will / 0 Comments

Two weeks of traveling. Six countries. I have learned so much about myself and about others while traveling that it is hard to believe it has only been two weeks. For the last 17 days, I have basically been flying, training, walking, sleeping, and doing everything else with the same three people. This was an awesome experience to share these amazing times with the people I love most, and it also taught me a lot about myself.

And truth be told… I’m exhausted. I have had too much walking, too many trains, and too much cold weather in the last couple of weeks. All I need too much of now is sleep… and maybe some massages. Here’s a brief view of my travels – one picture from every country. This is just a glimpse at all the fun I had with my best friends and all of the scenes we saw.

Inside the Blue Mosque in Istanbul, Turkey

On a beach in Mykonos, Greece

Me and Matt in the Vatican Museum in Rome, Italy

Me and my roommate in front of a canal, Amsterdam, Netherlands

Me and Matt in a park in Copenhagen, Denmark

Andrew fighting a horse in Stockholm, Sweden

Whew! If you haven’t noticed, these countries make a complete circle around Germany… I don’t want to know how many miles we actually traveled!

We Shape the World, yet Sometimes It Shapes Us

November 5, 2010 / Allie Sauber / 1 Comment

With a little over a month remaining, I can’t help but to begin reflecting on what impact the past three months have left on my life.

The importance of being in touch with oneself has never been more evident. Being thousands of miles away from everything familiar, including people, language, cuisine, and culture, inevitably leaves one with a plethora of emotions. And at times, seemingly contradictory ones. It is at these times it becomes increasingly important to examine yourself both objectively and unbiasedly. For some, this may mean ten minutes of a sort of mental regrouping, and for others, a few hours. Regardless of which category you fall under, it is important that such emotional conflict is both expected, and pleasantly dealt with. For, from strife results perseverance.

Those very moments are the ones that stand out to me the most: those moments of profound realization about the beautiful creation existing around me, and my place and view within it all. A few such realizations for me are as follows:

Just a few days before departing for France, heightened strike alerts began saturating the news. With my mom and sister forty-eight hours away from departing Chicago, I remember having a profound spirit of condemnation toward France, for if their juvenile manifestations resulted in my sister and mom not making it to Paris, I would be quite bitter, to say the least. However, I realized that I hadn’t even taken the time to understand what was

First time seeing the Eiffel Tower

causing the French manifestations . After realizing that the French government wanted to raise the retirement age from sixty to sixty-two, I had little sympathy for them, seeing as the retirement age in America is much higher than that. However, in all of this mess, it was clear to me that all things in this world are relative. While to us, the retirement age of sixty-two is substantially low, to them, that is two more years of a lifestyle they neither expected nor value as much as Americans. One cannot place judgment on a culture they are not a part of, and instead should realize that all of life’s circumstances are just that: circumstantial. It is my challenge to you to seek understanding when you find yourself in a frustrating situation, for a discerning heart is most always answered.

On a more personal note, I experienced a deep understanding and admiration for Catholicism. While I myself am not Catholic, being immersed in Rome’s deep Catholic history was enlightening. As I mentioned in my blog about Rome, it is undeniable the devout nature the Catholics have historically shown throughout time. Going beyond my genuine acceptance of the Catholic religion, is my acceptance for all inhabitants of this earth, religious or atheist, Italian or American. For, judgement, whether it is toward a specific culture, religion, or origin, should not hold a place in our hearts.

In front of St. Peter’s basilica

Our purpose on this earth is not to inflict more animosity, but to calm it. The calming of such animosity begins with oneself. It’s obvious, then, that Mahatma Gandhi has had it right all along: “be the change you want to see in the world.”

In both of these examples of some of the realizations I have experienced, the concept of knowledge is at hand. For, both situations required a sort of understanding that I didn’t have prior to experiencing them. I have always considered myself a lover of academics, an individual who enjoys studying, succeeding, and admittedly, over-achieving, but, up until this point, I hadn’t sought much knowledge outside of my academic studies. I immersed myself in whatever subjects I was taking that semester, and any free time I had was spent taking a break from all of the knowledge I was busy learning during the week. However, since these experiences, I have found myself researching politics and theology during my free time. It is my hope that these learned lessons will be applied not only for the remainder of the trip, but upon my return to normalcy in America.

Always growing together (Innsbruck, Austria)

I leave you with the challenge to possess both a discerning and accepting heart. You’ll be surprised how it transcends into all other areas of your life.

A Day for the Dead?

November 4, 2010 / Lydia Mertz / 4 Comments

Dia de Muertos (Day of the Dead)-it’s a beautiful, odd and reflective holiday here in Mexico. Basically, you could call it a combination of conservative Catholic traditions with a raw Aztec attitude. Every year, families in Mexico make ofrendas or offerings for well, obviously the dead but specifically members of the family who have passed on. These offerings will include flowers, a portrait of the deceased, bread, fruit, chocolate skulls, food and drink the family member liked among other items. Offerings can be very simple or extremely fancy.

This was posted on the wall on a family’s home. In English, it reads: “For us, there was no death, you live in our hearts and our pain will not end until we re-unit forever.”

Bread, flowers and fruit-always in an ofrenda!

The ofrendas or offerings are meant to attract the spirit of the dead loved one and celebrate his or her life. At a certain time, family members will go out into the street and create a path with flowers leading into the house guiding the spirit of the deceased to enter the house. The family eats the food from the ofrenda and re-lives the memories they shared with the spirit of the deceased. When the time comes, the family bids the spirit of the muerto (or deceased person) farewell until next year.

I had the recent opportunity to visit the town of Huaquechula with some classmates and our professor to visit the homes of complete strangers to see their ofrendas. This is an official tour the town does every year for tourists. Entering the homes with beautiful ofrendas, I stood there taking in the life of a complete stranger. I realized that the love and dedication between families even when a member has passed on is forever strong. It sounds odd to invite the spirit of a dead family member into your home. I mean in my family, we just put flowers on my grandparents’ graves, say a prayer and call it good. Here, they go to great efforts to make these offerings.

This was a very beautiful ofrenda for a family member that has passed this year in Huaquechula.

Family members invite the spirit of the deceased family member to enter their home.

Going through the different homes and seeing the offerings that the family member’s had painstakingly made was somber, breathtaking and beautiful. It’s difficult to explain experiencing this day because it’s a mixture of emotions ranging from sadness for complete strangers that the loved one was not physically there. However, I felt a sense of peace because despite death, the families still had each other and most importantly, this opportunity to express the loss in a healthy and open manner. Stealing a phrase from Oprah Winfrey and Doctor Phil, in order to heal, you got to feel. Day of the Dead certainly does that.

However, it also goes to prove that no matter the occasion, Mexicans will always celebrate. Remembering loved ones that have passed on is sad and difficult for sure. Some family members laugh and some cry but why not celebrate and remember the life and memories you shared with them? It is a beautiful lesson that in life and death, there is always a reason to keep hoping in the face of death. Even though the body has been buried, their spirit will continue to live on.

Lydia

Student Stories from Around the World