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It’s People Not Places

January 25, 2011 / / 0 Comments

Edinburgh from bridge

Their thick Scottish accent only allowed me to understand about every other word that they were saying, but I didn’t much mind because they were just so nice. You could feel the exuberance flowing off of them, as if telling us about their beautiful place of worship helped them feel closer to it. Only about halfway through their introduction to the Cathedral did they even tell us that they were married, but it made sense. This couple was by far the kindest people I’d met since my flight over the pond almost three weeks ago.
We only ended up in Glasgow because when we told our history professor that we were going to Scotland he told us that we won’t have seen Scotland without seeing Glasgow. After he said that, we altered our plans (which were for Edinburgh all weekend) and fit in Glasgow on Sunday. When we told Professor Murphy our good news, he asked us why on earth we were going to Glasgow on a Sunday because everyone there will just be hung over or maybe in church. Awesome. Well, against Murphy’s “better” judgment we made plans to go to Edinburgh on Thursday after class and stay there until Sunday when we would go to Glasgow.

Right after class on Thursday we took a taxi to the train station and hopped on the first of our three trains to Edinburgh. The first two trains were pretty quick but the last one took an entire four hours. The time went relatively quickly and before we knew it we were getting off the train and searching for a taxi. We quickly found the queue for a taxi and found a large taxi that would accommodate us all, but the bigger problem came when we told the taxi driver where we wanted to go. “High Street Hostel, please.” To which the taxi driver responded, “Grapwoi knsdnf oiwndn owei ponf?” At least that’s what it sounded like to us. “High Street Hostel? 8 Blackfriar’s Street?” Repeating those words over and over we eventually ended up at our hostel.
It was perfect! Our hostel was right in the middle of everything and it was truly amazing. Right off the bat, we were amazed at the beauty of the city and the architecture of Edinburgh. After a cheap dinner at a wonderful pub, we walked the (VERY cold) streets before we went back to our hostel and settled down for the night.

Edinburgh Castle

The next morning we walked the very short distance from our hostel to the castle, stopping along the way for some delicious breakfast at a hole-in-the-wall restaurant. The stone castle towers over the city with volcanic cliffs plunging down from either side. The tickets to the castle may have been the most expensive thing we paid for all weekend, but it was so incredibly worth it. With cannons protruding from the walls from 360 degrees and buildings dating back to many various eras, the castle just oozed character. In addition, since the castle was built on the top of a dormant volcano, every way you looked off of its defensive walls you saw picturesque Edinburgh cascading down below.
After the castle, we went to Scotland’s National Gallery. Now maybe I’ve just never been to any real art museums, but this was amazing. There is something about seeing Van Gogh’s name by a canvas covered in his brush strokes that left me in awe. In addition to Van Gogh, I saw works by Rembrandt, Monet, Raphael, Botticelli, and by far my favorite were the works by Degas. I grew up seeing copies of his paintings of ballerinas in every studio I ever danced in, so seeing one in real life was really fantastic for me. Plus it was free!

Me, Cliffs, Edinburgh, Canadian

The next day we did something truly awesome which none of the guidebooks recommended. Close to town were two hills, one boasting multiple monuments and the city’s observatory. The other hill was much higher with sheer cliffs on one side. We walked them both and they both offered superb picture taking opportunities. The city was bathed in the glowing light of midday sun and it was just perfect. Not to mention we did all of this with our fun Canadian friend that we had met in the hostel. Hostel folk are just fantastic; you can meet interesting people from all stages in life who are trying to see the world, just like you.

That night we took a tour of the cavernous rooms lurking below the Scottish streets of Edinburgh. They were spooky for sure, but definitely had a dark and interesting path. With each new turn, a story was told showing some dark aspect of that room or corridor’s past. Not for people who are easily spooked, but definitely an interesting stop on our journey. However, no thanks to the complimentary whiskey that tasted like death itself.
After the short train ride the following morning we stepped out of the train station and into a Glasgow town square, abandoned by everyone but Santa. Yes, you read that correctly. Every direction there were clusters of people dressed like Santa. Within the walking of the first block we found there source with a big sign that said “Glasgow Santa Dash 2010”. Maybe it got delayed or maybe Glasgow doesn’t realize that Santa is usually reserved for December and that it is no longer 2010, who knows? Almost as entertaining as the “art” we found at the free Modern Art Museum we went to next…

Modern Art? Ok...

Then we walked to the Glasgow Cathedral which was just getting out of church. Before we could go into the main part of the church, the nicest couple ever met us and started telling us all about the cathedral, what was there, when it was built, how beautiful it was, everything. They were just so nice and happy to share with us. It really touched my heart, reminding me of the warmth of my own grandparents and my own church and even home. As abandoned and hung over as Glasgow, Scotland may have been that chilly Sunday morning in January, I found there a little piece of home. My dad always says, “It’s people not places,” I just know how amazing it is to experience a weekend where I get the best of both.

Goodnight, Scotland

Check out all of my pictures here!

Farewell, Cambridge

December 24, 2010 / / 0 Comments

I don’t even know where to begin. How do you possibly sum up what has potentially been the best four months of my life? How do you even come close to putting into words how amazing and unforgettable this semester has been? Truth be told, I don’t think you can. But like I’ve learned about a lot of things while studying abroad, it’s worth a try.

Living in England was a dream come true, it is as simple as that. With that being said, everything I’ve experienced while being here has been beyond my wildest dreams. The amount of pictures I’ve taken this semester is a testimony to how much I’ve enjoyed Europe and how much I’ve been fascinated by what it has had to offer. I’ve never really possessed an obsession with taking pictures, but with all the incredible places I’ve been and the astounding things I’ve seen, I ended up collecting 7 gigabytes of pictures, some 2,306 photos in total. Uncountable stories are hidden behind these photos, so many of them representing a unique memory not soon to be lost from my mind. I probably would have taken even more pictures to look back on had I not opted to make an effort to avoid being labeled as a tourist.

I am anything but a tourist in Cambridge. Was I one in Madrid? Without a doubt. And in Amsterdam? Absolutely. Cambridge became my home though. It rapidly became my home away from home and, to be honest, by the end of the semester it was a little bit more than that. The more I explored Cambridge, the more I liked it. The more I conversed with the people, the more I felt at home. I may not have lived in Cambridge anywhere near as long as anyone I met around the city, but I somehow managed to feel like I was one of them by the time I left. In their eyes I may have still been a foreigner they had come to accept, but I couldn’t help myself from feeling like a ‘local’. It can even be said that my own self-entitlement provided me with a sense of fulfillment.

I did more than just see the sights in Cambridge. I embraced the city for everything it was and I made it my home, which in turn allowed me to gain the most out of my once-in-a-lifetime experience. I leave with no regrets, just memories and a feeling of satisfaction that I was fortunate enough to accomplish more than I ever sought out to. I leave knowing I am going to miss Cambridge, but also that I will one day make a return in the future. I leave knowing I did everything I possibly could to gain the most out of this experience. I’m thankful for all of the people who helped enhance my experience in Cambridge, whether they meant to or not.

Dick and his girlfriend Alyssa, the owners of Sir Isaac Newton’s pub, and the numerous servers there made it my favorite place to hang out or watch sports in all of Cambridge. Then there was Silo, owner of a small Kebab trailer and one of the kindest people I’ve ever met. It’s surreal how much I learned from him and countless others about their native countries. Worth a mention as much as anyone, if not more so, is Mark Farmer, the director of the Cambridge Study Abroad program, as well as his wife, Sarah. They quite possibly had the biggest influence over making this an unforgettable semester for everyone in the group, and everyone in my program will undoubtedly agree with me that they certainly succeeded in helping us enjoy Cambridge as much as possible. I could go on and on about all of the people who helped make this an experience I’ll never forget, but the list would end up being longer than Santa’s to-do list on Christmas Eve.

All I can do is reflect on what an extraordinary and unforgettable semester this has been as I take with me all the lessons I’ve learned and insights I’ve gained. So much of that I owe to Cambridge and the incredible place that it is.

My home for the past four months

Truly Embracing a Culture

November 23, 2010 / / 0 Comments

Traveling is great, as is seeing all the extraordinary sites each city and each country has to offer, but in order to truly experience a culture, you really have to socialize with the people. I’ve found that the times spent conversing with locals are what really helped me get the most out of any trip I’ve made so far this semester. I may have been at awe at numerous sites I visited across Europe, but it was my conversations with various locals that helped me embrace the culture and ensure my travels were a memorable experience.

I remember being in Munich all the way back in September for my first visit to a country outside England. I had felt slightly overwhelmed at the notion of being in a foreign country and not knowing a single word of their language. Luckily I was with four of my friends from the Cambridge group, but I soon discovered there was not a whole lot to be apprehensive about if I accepted that sometimes things might go wrong and if I was willing to ask for help when I needed it. Without any clue of how to get around Munich, we approached the manager of our Bed and Breakfast. To our delight she gave us everything we needed: A map of the city, a train map and bus routes. Along with those items, she also gave us a friendly face to talk to when we needed it most. She was helpful and was willing to answer any questions we had about the city (which was a lot). I found the same to be true for most people I talked to that weekend and I really can’t count the number of people who I found myself conversing with over the weekend. Almost everyone was friendly and it was because of people like them that I was able to gain a greater understanding of German culture and be able to consider it a successful trip.

Hanging out with a group of Americans I met before a football match in London

The same has been true for every place I’ve visited. While at Gatwick Airport in London and waiting for a screen to announce which gate I needed to go to, I decided to strike up a conversation with a random man standing close by. As it turned out he was headed to Madrid on the same flight as me! Javier’s English was very limited, but I was still able to converse with my own limited knowledge of Spanish. Before even landing in Madrid I had learned so much about the city and received advice that only a local could possibly tell me. He even pulled out his iPhone and showed me how to use the Metro (subway) to get to every site I intended on seeing during my stay. When we landed he helped me buy train tickets and then gave me his number in case I needed any more help while I was in Madrid. Wow, what a huge help. It’s amazing how approaching a complete stranger can end up improving your visit so much.

To some this may not seem like important information, but in my opinion, it’s some of the best advice I can give anyone before they travel to a new place: Converse as often as you can with the locals. No matter where I went I found that my conversations with the local are what really helped me to not only appreciate but also learn the most about a city or country’s culture. It may be intimidating approaching strangers at times, but the truth is people in Europe are generally friendly almost anywhere you go. Of course you may meet a few people who aren’t, but it’s worth the risk when you bump into someone and are able to have a wonderful conversation with them about almost anything. Sometimes you have to remember that they are just as interested in your own culture as you might be in theirs!

Seeing all the beautiful sites and exploring the city is great, but in order to really get a feel for the place you really do have to talk with the people who actually live there. As strange as it may sound, some of my best memories are all the conversations I’ve had with strangers in the various places I visited across England and the rest of Europe. Although I may never see some of those people again in my life, they helped give me a good impression of their country and hopefully I was able to do the same for mine.

A Deeper Look into History

November 18, 2010 / / 0 Comments

When touring London and visiting all of its magnificent sites, it’s hard to believe the city was once the victim of six straight weeks of bombing during World War II. Referred to as the “Blitz”, Londoners suffered intense bombing by German forces which killed over 43,000 civilians and left more than a million households destroyed or damaged. And that was all in London. Granted a huge part of Europe suffered similar if not worse devastation, it’s incredible to think about what people had to endure around 70 years ago.

A common sight in London during the ‘Blitz’ in World War II

On Tuesday I had the chance to visit the Duxford Aircraft Museum, which lies nine miles south of Cambridge and is considered to be one of the most important air bases during in Britain during the World War. The museum, which contains the largest collection of historic aircraft in Europe, is one of the best ways to really get a grasp of the atrocities and devastation caused by both World War I and World War II. The aircraft on display was astounding. The Spitfire, Concorde, Messerschmitt, Hurricane, you name it, and there’s a really good chance they have it.

Messerschmitt BF 109E – most famous German figher in WWII

One of seven hangers at Duxford Aircraft Museum


After learning about World War I and World War II in our British History course here in Cambridge, it felt appropriate to view the planes and a lot of the weapons and vehicles used by many of the countries involved in the war. I was able to learn a lot about the hardships the soldiers and pilots fighting faced, as well as the women and children on the home front. It’s crazy to think that around 7.5 million women were recruited for war work between 1939 and 1945. It’s even more shocking to think that around 100 million people died from both wars.  Visiting Duxford Aircraft Meseum was a very enlightening experience and it emphasized how much the world has changed and how fortunate I am not to have had to endure living in such a difficult era.

The U.S. Air Force’s F-15 Eagle

And for Americans like me and the rest of our group, the American Air Museum provided the perfect opportunity to admire the largest collection of U.S. aircraft outside of America. They had an impressive collection, housing famous aircraft such as the Boeing B-29 Superfortress, Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird (once the fastest jet in the world), P-51 Mustang… to name just a few. It was especially significant for me as my Uncle is a retired Major General from the U.S. Air Force and flew some of the aircraft on display, such as the F-15 Eagle. It was a special experience to be able to see up close and touch the same type of fighter jet he once flew. As a kid I was always fascinated by jets and to finally be up close to some was extremely memorable, to say the least.

Throughout the entire visit I learned a lot about European and American history. I considered myself to have a decent knowledge of past and current events, but I soon realized there was a lot of information I didn’t know. The museum taught me a lot, but it also helped open my eyes up and take a deeper look into history. It’s amazing what you can discover if you’re actually looking.

English Pub Life: Something for Everybody

October 29, 2010 / / 0 Comments

Whether you’re looking for some great English food, a satisfying drink, a place to watch football games or a few friendly faces to have a casual conversation with, English pubs are the place to go. Over the course of the past two months I’ve visited countless pubs in England and have enjoyed every one of my experiences. The people are always friendly and despite my friends and I being foreigners, we are always made to feel welcome – even the ones who know next to nothing about football. Pubs are a place people come to simply enjoy a drink and socialize with other locals or strangers from other places, like myself.

For a guy like me, there isn’t much better than watching football at the pubs in England. And for a guy like me, I was able to realize that during the first day I arrived in this country. In the United States, I had to wake up as early as 6:00 a.m., even 4:00 a.m. on one occasion, to watch my favorite football team play. Restaurants and bars are certainly not open at this time, although even if they were it wouldn’t make much of a difference for me. Most of the time I was forced to watch matches on the internet through live streaming as the English Premier League is rarely televised in North America. In other words, I was alone in my room celebrating whenever my team scored a goal. Apologies once again to all my past roommates!

Thankfully in Kenya the time difference ensured I only stayed up as late as 1:00 a.m. to watch a football match. And thankfully, more often than not I was able to watch most of the matches at a crowded restaurant or bar surrounded by other avid football fans. It was always a weekend tradition for my family. Whenever Saturday or Sunday afternoon arrived, my Dad and I would drive to a restaurant thirty minutes before kick-off in order to get a seat for the match. Occasionally we even managed to convince my Mom to come along. Regardless of who was playing, it was always destined to be an enjoyable time and capable of being the highlight of any weekend.

Several hours after arriving in Cambridge back in August I strolled down to a pub called Sir Isaac Newton’s which was located just two blocks away from my house. It was there that I watched my first football match in England and it was there that I received my first taste of English culture. The match on TV wasn’t even one I really cared too much about and more than anything it was just a chance to experience the pub life in England. I was not to be let down. Everyone in the pub had nothing but football coming from their lips and it was a warm welcoming to a brand new country to be able to talk to complete strangers about everything and anything pertaining to football. It was an easy common ground and it provided a platform to meet new people and served as an early indication of how friendly people in England are.

On some occasions and depending on the importance of the match, the pub can be filled with all types of people. Young, old, men, women, even children. A few nights ago I watched a Carling Cup match between Manchester United and Wolverhampton and sat next beside a table where an elderly couple who appeared to be in their 70’s was sitting. When it comes to people’s passion for football in this country, age really is just a number!

A few weeks ago I watched an England National team match at Sir Isaac Newton’s where the entire pub was packed from wall to wall. My odds of finding a seat that night were as good as my chances of winning the National Lottery. The atmosphere inside the place was incredible, however. Dozens of fans crowded around the TV’s in each corner of the room while people at the bar stood conversing and offering their two cents’ worth on the big match. And after England ended the match victorious, instead of filtering out of the pub and heading in separate directions, the majority of the people stayed to socialize and alternate buying rounds of drinks for each other.

Even if you’re not into football, pubs in England offer provide something for everybody. In fact, there are numerous pubs in the country that don’t televise football. In fact, many don’t even have TV’s. You can’t go wrong if you’re looking for a tasty plate of food that will fill your stomach. Fish n’ Chips are a favorite about anywhere and a lot of pubs pride themselves over their wide selection of drinks available.

So if you love football or if you can’t stand it, English pubs offer something for everyone and are one of many enjoyable aspects of English culture. Well, that is as long as you’re looking to eat delicious food, drink great beverages and converse with all sorts of friendly people.

Five Important Things to do Before You Travel

October 5, 2010 / / 1 Comment

Planning a trip can seem somewhat daunting at times, especially if you’re traveling to a new country for the very first time. If you plan accordingly, however, you are guaranteed to get a much better experience out of it. And no matter how many hours of research you end up doing beforehand, it will be worth every second of it once you arrive at your destination. Based on my travels so far, here’s a list of the five important things to research or do before you depart:

1) Transportation – It’s not even worth mentioning you need to figure out how to get to the airport from your own house, but it’s important to research the best ways to travel to your hostel, hotel or friend’s house from the airport you’re flying into. It’s easy just to wave down a taxi outside the airport, but if you’re traveling by yourself or in a small group, there are often cheaper options. It’s not a bad idea to check if there are any buses or trains leaving from the airport towards the place you need to be. Most airports provide bus or train services for a relatively cheap price.

2) Contact Information – in case of emergency, it’s always good to make sure someone from back home knows where you are staying in whatever country you may be traveling to. The chances of your flight being cancelled may be slim, but in case an emergency does arise, such as Eyjafjallajökull (the Iceland volcano no one can pronounce) earlier this year, it’s important your friends or family from back home know where you are.

3) Communication – To go along with the second point, it’s vital to have at least some form of communication while you are traveling. Not all hostels provide internet access so it isn’t a bad idea to have a phone on you. I found that extremely helpful when I travelled to Munich with four of my friends. At times it’s easy to get lost or separated from your friends, and without a phone, it can be a nightmare trying to locate other members of your group. Lastly, if you do have a phone, make you sure find out what the country code is where you are so you can make calls. Here’s a list of country calling codes: http://www.countrycallingcodes.com/countrylist.php

4) Attractions – I can speak from experience when I say it’s a terrible idea to fly to a new country without any real idea of what you want to see or do while you are there. If you research what type of attractions your country has to offer you’ll be able to pick and choose what you want to do ahead of time, ensuring you get the most out of your visit and experience as much of the culture as you possibly can. The internet is full of information of what to do and see in various countries, and if that doesn’t suffice, most book stores contain travel guides for specific countries, even cities. Also, bring a map of the city in order to help you get around from place to place.

5) Budget – Some countries cost more than others and it’s safe to say that food, drinks, accommodation and the price of tourist attractions varies in each country. Do a little research beforehand so you can have a good idea of how much money you think you’ll need to spend during your travels. It’s always good to have an idea of how much things will cost so you’re not overwhelmed when you get there.

The list is by no means conclusive, but it can be a good start for anyone embarking on a trip to a new country. Most importantly, have fun and take full advantage of being in a place some people still dream of going to.

Cheers!

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