Tag: family

My host brother Pini and I

Home Away From Home

The path through the Mahangu leading to my family’s home

For over a week, I spent time living with the Uugwanga family in the rural village of Outapi in northern Namibia. Together, we lived on a farm growing Mahangu and raising chickens. I was the first student that my host family had welcomed into their home that they built themselves. The home is very modest but my family is absolutely amazing. Only my host mom spoke much English but that didn’t stop us from hanging out, telling stories, playing games, and getting to know one another.

My host family’s home and the pipe leading into the crops.

All of the water that my family used came from a spicket outside of the house. The spicket pumped water up from an underground well near the house. We used this spicket for everything in the house by filling buckets at the spicket and carrying them around the house. My family worked hard to conserve the water that they had. For instance, when my host father noticed that the spicket was leaking slightly, instead of letting it drip, he put a bucket underneath it and was able to gather a few bucket loads over the course of a day that would have been wasted otherwise. In order to shower, we filled a five-liter bucket with water and carried it into a small room in the house designated for showering. In order conserve the water that was used for showering, my host father actually installed a pipe that lead out of the showering room and into the crops behind the house so that the water would runoff into the field and water the crops.

Playing keep away with Pini

The interactions I had with my family were absolutely incredible and I quickly learned how to communicate without language. I did learn some Oshiwambo, which is the local language, but I mostly communicated through actions. My best friend on the trip was my 3-year-old host brother, Pini, who claimed me as his own. Pini and I developed our own language and spent almost all of our time together playing keep away or running around the house. Pink was also a troublemaker and never ceased to entertain me, whether it be his dancing or his obsession with my camera or his contagious laugh.

Traditional buildings at the family Easter celebration

My host family brought me to their church to celebrate the baptism of my 3-month-old host sister, August, and we also had a huge celebration at our home where I was able to meet the whole family. I also was able to attend Easter services with my family that were held at the cemetery in order to emphasize the idea of rebirth. After Easter services, there was a huge celebration at the home of some extended family where almost 80 family members attended. At the celebration, I was introduced to many people and was also given the honor of helping to prepare the meat. This meant that I had to help slice up the freshly slaughtered cow that was hanging on a wall. While it was probably one of the most disgusting things I’ve ever done, it also meant that I got to eat some of the most delicious steak I’ve ever had.

Oh and I ate some worms too.

Me and my host family. From left to right: baby August, Florencia, my host father David, Pini, Maggie, and Me

Saying goodbye to my family at the end of the week was extremely difficult because even though it had been such a short time, we had grown extremely close and had learned so much from one another. On the final night with my family, I gave them gifts and pictures of my family so that they could remember me. We also went on a photo shoot around the farm so that we could have pictures with each other. The next morning, my host parents wanted to give me something in return so they gathered up a picture of my host mother and her class (she is a preschool teacher) and my host dad gave me one of his traditional shirts. We then all had to say our goodbyes as Pini and my host sisters, Maggie and Florencia, walked me out. I’ll cherish my memories with them as long as I live and hopefully I can come back to visit again someday.

The beautiful sunset over the Mahangu

Finding a Family in Katutura

February 10, 2015 / Katie Wilson / 0 Comments

I’m back from my second homestay and about four weeks into my crazy, exciting adventure in Africa. It has certainly been a fun few weeks and I’m pretty sure the last five days takes the cake. Thank you for everyone who has been patient with my horrible updating schedule. We actually broke the internet so wifi has been hard to come by. However… here are some highlights of my super fun last couple of days:

-My host family was Ovambo and speaks Oshiwambo primarly. This was such a great language learning opportunity! They also run a kindergarten and I had six host siblings, 2.5 weeks old to twenty-one years. This meant small children (YAY!) and people my age that I could hang out with… best of both worlds.

-I got to live in Katutura, which is a township of Windhoek, for five days which meant I was able to get outside the (occasionally touristy) bubble of Windhoek.

-I was able to learn so much about traditional Ovambo culture and language; I even got to wear a traditional Ovambo skirt and belt and necklace.

-I got to spend every evening with my amazing host brothers and sisters which was the best form of relaxation in the world.

-Kapana and Mangos, Kapana and Mangos.

-I was taken in like a long lost daughter by this family and never felt so at home when physically I’m so far away from it. (So grateful and blessed).

-I got to hold a little baby, run around with small children, and (attempt!) to learn how to cook each and every day which was such a cool experience.

-I figured out how to be out of my comfort zone and embrace it fully for a few days.

My Lovely Little Home

This urban homestay, for me especially, was an incredible new challenge and experience. It was the first time since being here in Southern Africa that I really was thrust out of my comfort zone and learned how embrace flying by the seat of my pants. I’m a big believer that if you’re not doing something terrifying you aren’t changing and you aren’t growing. This growth has happened now twice: the first time was actually getting on the plane to come to Africa, the close second was staying with my family in Katutura. It really allowed me to slow down, appreciate the small things, and relinquish control of things (sometimes). It put me back in a home-environment and allowed me to build relationships with some of the most wonderful people I’ve ever encountered. I loved spending evenings cooking with my oldest Host-sister or coming home and playing with the kids after a long day at school. I loved that I had a true HOME to go to.

My two littlest host brothers.

To be surrounded by a family with the kindest hearts and experience local Namibian culture is the biggest blessing I could have asked for. Things that I hoped to see and feelings I hoped to experience while in Africa were all there in this family of eight. I was able to take myself out of the critical-student/tourist/individual identity role and become part of a family where I could just listen and learn. The experience allowed me to slow down and enjoy time with my little host brothers and gave me time with my camera that I had been ignoring. It gave me a breakfast every morning with Meme (means Mother, in Oshiwambo) where she gave me a language lesson. It required that I not have control all the time. No internet? Oh well. Dinner at various times? Ok. Last minute adventuring?YES. Living in Katutura gave me back something that I lost in growing up: the joy of living in the moment. And as I lived in those moments, I was able to enjoy “just being”. I was able to laugh harder, humble myself more, empathize better, care more, and love a lot harder.

My youngest and eldest host siblings

My five days in Katutura were so badly needed and I don’t think I will ever be able to voice to my family what it meant to me. It’s only now, in the recent days, that I have began to formulate what it really gave me beyond a great cultural experience, awesome food, and a family to love. It settled my heart and gave it renewed joy that I hope I will be able to carry with me the rest of my time here in Africa. I feel like I am starting to now see the importance of my time here — just how much I am suppose to grow and a tiny glimpse of the person I was designed & intended to be. This adventure was more than a dream but a chance for something so incredibly great. I hope that by the time I leave Africa in three short months I will have a fresh understanding of why I really came here, how the love of a family and other beautiful little things are just another representation of a greater, higher love; and that I am better able to view this heartbreaking world through a lens of goodness.
Here are some photos so far from the last few days. I tried my best to capture my love for this family and the joy that they have and the joy that they instill in me. I hope you are enjoying this adventure with me so far and like me, am excited for what the future holds

. Family

Mr Egg and the Chinese countryside

October 11, 2014 / Tobiah Meinzen / 0 Comments

On Thursday morning Mr. Egg invited me visit his home. Mr. Egg (that’s his self-chosen English name) is a local who teaches English at a school near Yuquan Campus. We met a couple weeks earlier as Mr. Egg organizes informal weekly “English clubs” around Hangzhou. What I thought was going to be a couple hours at Mr. Egg’s apartment turned out to be an overnight trip into the Chinese countryside and an intimate look at (one form of) Chinese lifestyle.

We used Hangzhou’s extensive bus system to get out of the city. At one point where we switched buses we met up with Mr. Egg’s girlfriend, Sue, a nurse in Hangzhou. The Hangzhou bus system operates very similarly to those in the United States, with the exception of personal space—during rush hour many buses are packed to the doors. On our hour long journey into the countryside the bus “played” leap-frog with mountain bikers and moped riders. The bus stayed on a high way intermittently broken by stop lights. Besides in Beijing I haven’t seen any roadways around Hangzhou that would qualify as interstates, so even when the roads are not crowded the traffic is slower than in the U.S.

From a countryside bus station we took a brief taxi ride to Sue’s family home. When we arrived her parents were cooking lunch in a make-shift outdoor kitchen. Behind the kitchen her family’s new home was being built. We took a brief walk along the narrow lane around the neighborhood. Almost every home had a dog (for scare off thieves Mr Egg told me) and chickens roamed freely. Ponds, small vegetable patches, crumbling brick walls, groves of bamboo were wedged between houses and small fields of tea trees.

The rural homes were actually quite surprising to me. First off they almost all lacked any sort of grassy front yard which was instead almost wholly paved over. The homes themselves were quite large (I’d estimate +1,500 sq. ft.), built on a roughly square base, two or three stories, and with rather fancy exterior decorations. I wonder if the rather opulent exteriors had to do with the notion of “face”? The homes were also built entirely of concrete—almost as if they were a mini apartment.

Sue’s family was welcoming and seemed very relaxed, unfortunately communication was limited as it had to be translated by Mr Egg. Lunch was quite a feast, which Mr Egg emphasized was natural and organic—much of the produce had been grown by the family! Interestingly both at Sue’s and at Mr Egg’s we ate at different times from the parents (and grandparents). The food was far more than we could eat (and given how it was prepared I doubted it could be easily saved for leftovers). While I prefer not to waste food, I expect that over abundance of food was a purposeful way to honor guests and show one’s “wealth.”

Although Mr Egg referred to Sue as his girlfriend, they are what we’d call engaged, (Mr Egg refers to Sue’s parents as his in-laws). I learned that they will get married next year when Sue’s family’s home is finished. According to Mr Egg their “engagement” came by visiting both sets of parents and seeking their approval. Therefore “meeting the parents” is a pretty serious affair in China. Weddings (or at least Mr Egg and Sue’s) will have no formal service but instead be comprised of fancy dinner gatherings for friends and family at both of the family’s residences. I also learned that cohabitation is not frowned upon in China.

After lunch we took a taxi to Mr Egg’s small town where his father picked us up in a new Lexus SUV. We stopped by the family bamboo mat factory to move some mats inside in case it rained. The factory was worn but well kept, reminding me of the canneries in Alaska, and a pallet of boxes stamped with ‘Made in China’ was a quick reminder of how globalized even small businesses have become.

Mr Egg’s grandparents live with his parents in a large home nestled between steep bamboo forested hills. Actually, their old home still stands next to their new one. The old one is used as a garage for laundry, moped storage, and the old fireplace-heated bathtub. The interior of the house was surprisingly empty, exposed CFL bulbs often hung from cords poking out of the peeling and dirty plaster, cooking was done between a gas stove and woodfire heated wok, while a big flat screen TV broadcast CCTV the entire time.

Between meals we were offered tea along with nuts, grapes, dates, and dragon-fruit. After a dinner with similar food to lunch we visited Mr Egg’s aunt who lived just down the road and talked with her for a while. I asked Mr Egg about the Hong Kong protests, he was aware of them and seemed passively supportive, insinuating that democracy was probable eventually in China. It makes sense I guess, while China is economically expanding most people (such as Mr Egg) have little urge to disturb the political norm.

I never got the impression that countryside life was declining (whereas American small towns often seem to be struggling)—simply the job and entertainment offerings of cities were so much larger. Mr Egg felt bored at his family home. A funeral had taken place earlier in the day and Mr Egg told me briefly about it although his vague explanation exposed the growing distance of the younger generation from the traditions of his parents.

Overall I found the trip to be fascinating, from the style of countryside homes to the interactions of multigenerational households, to the focus on food as the center of hospitality in what was otherwise a very casual setting.

written 10/5/2014

Myself, Mr Egg and Henney (from Norway)

Lunch!

Bamboo mats

Mr Egg’s family home

Outside Mr Egg’s family home

Just up the road from Mr Egg’s home

A hilltop tea tree plantation above Mr Egg’s home

Dragonfruit!

Cooking dinner!

Cape Point

Cape Town and Goodbyes

May 9, 2014 / Maddy Rainaud-Owens / 1 Comment

The past two weeks have been an emotional roller coaster to say the least. The final week and a half in Namibia were filled with final projects and papers, but also tearful goodbyes. After all of our projects were done, the fifteen of us cooked dinner for all the staff that made our four months in Namibia what it was. We got a chance to go around the table and say our thank yous. A lot of the group mentioned how awesome it was that in a group of 15 of us, we all got along really well and how uncommon it is for that to happen. I couldn’t agree more. Living with three guys who go to polytechnic of Namibia, we were able to really get to know them and it was a rough goodbye. I know I’ve said this time and time again, but Namibia has become home to me, and my heart broke leaving.

Inside Robben Island prison

Despite the sadness, an excitement filled the bus because our long awaited trip to Cape Town was finally here. Throughout the week, we visited various museums, churches and heard from many different speakers. My favorite of which was Robben Island where we got to tour the prison, hear from a man who was imprisoned for five years, and see Mandela’s solitary confinement cell.

Throughout the week we also got to to non-academic actives like visiting Cape Point, Boulder’s beach and hiking Lion’s head. Cape Town is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen. On the hike up Lion’s head — unfortunately we weren’t able to hike Table Mountain while we were here because of weather — we were able to see all around the coast for miles with Table Mountain and Devil’s peak on one side and the twelve disciples on the other. It was an incredible view, photos don’t even do it justice! Cape point was breathtaking standing on one of the southernmost points in the world seeing two oceans joining together. Great white shark cage diving was planned for me and Sam, but the weather and time scheduling didn’t permit it.. I guess I’ll just have to come back for that one!

Cape Point

Despite all the fun activities that have been happening this week, it’s not easy knowing I’ll be back in the U.S in 48 hours. The best way I can describe it really is simply bittersweet. It will be nice to be with family and friends, but I am so not ready to be leaving southern Africa. Every day, I’m reminded just how special my time spent here was. There is no doubt in my mind that I am no where close to the person I was when I left Claremont, CA on January 18th. The people I’ve met, the things I’ve seen and the places I’ve been have shaped me in ways I never imagined possible. God has worked in my life these past four months in pretty incredible ways that I’d have to take way longer to explain to you — if even possible to explain. I’m leaving Namibia and south Africa with a very heavy heart, but a heart filled with memories and experiences that I am infinitely grateful for. There’s no doubt in my mind that I’ll be back in two years with my BSN. Thank you southern Africa for the most amazing time of my life, and thank you to each and every one of you who reached out to me with words of encouragement every step of the way. I am beyond blessed.

A group shot on top of Lion’s Head

All my love always,

Maddy

Missing my little Marvelous already

Love, Laughter & Lessons Learned

April 3, 2014 / Maddy Rainaud-Owens / 3 Comments

My apologies for the lack of posts recently – I’ve been out of internet touch for a little while now. So bear with me as this post will be quite long. These past weeks have been some of the greatest of my life, ones I will absolutely never forget. We left from Windhoek on the 18th, en route for our last and final home-stay on a farm in northern, rural Namibia. We set out for Khorixas and once again, to say I was nervous to meet my new family would be an understatement. Knowing there was only 1 guaranteed English speaker in each home, and my lack of success speaking Damara, I wasn’t quite sure how I’d navigate through the week. I was placed on the Inhoek farm about six kilometers from the town of Khorixas with five other students- each of us with a different family to call our own. (We were on a family farm so most of the houses were all related to each other in one way or another.) My nerves were quickly forgotten as I was welcomed by my host mom Dena, two sisters (Buyela 23, Immseline 9) and three brothers (Sydney 17, Delvin 14, Marvelous 3).

My host siblings - minus Marvelous

One of the beautiful sunsets

As the week went on, all of the young kids on the farm spent time together – whether it was sitting around talking or dance parties at night, I constantly found myself smiling and laughing uncontrollably. Each morning when I woke up and went to use the bathroom (a bush) and brush my teeth, I’d hear the pitter patter of footsteps behind me. Every time I turned around, I saw Marvelous running up behind me and as he got closer his little hand reached up and grabbed my two fingers. Marvelous didn’t speak or understand a word of English, but he’d always greet me with a smile and we’d walk hand in hand (or hand and finger) everywhere we went. This happened every morning and each time, I couldn’t suppress the large smile that overcame me. Needless to say, as the days passed I came to love this family as my own. We spent days playing soccer, going on hikes, playing volleyball over the clothes line, riding in donkey carts, learning new games, telling stories, milking cows, herding goats & sheep, and whatever else we could think of. The sunsets each night were absolutely breathtaking, unlike any I’d ever seen before. I found myself dreading the day we’d have to say goodbye.

Marvelous and I on our morning walk

On one of the days, we decided we’d pass the time by walking into town. We rode in on one of our host dad’s trailer because he figured we wouldn’t want to walk all the way there considering the heat. We spent a little time in town eating ice cream and just walking around. On our way back we took a “short cut” that ended up being more of a long cut, but it left us laughing later that night. Every night after dinner we’d all gather at one house and have a dance party under more stars than you could ever imagine; we’d dance for hours until we couldn’t dance anymore. As I was admiring the stars one night, one of the girls asked me if we had stars in America. I laughed a little and told her we did, but we don’t get to see them like theirs. We told the story of Cinderella and Goldilocks and they told us a few of their traditional stories. All of the young kids our age spoke great English and they made an attempt to teach us more Damara. I think I can successfully count to 10 now. Much to my dismay, the days passed, and the Monday I was dreading finally approached. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t have to fight back tears knowing I may never see these people again, but I can’t help but be filled with joy knowing I got to spend a week with such an amazing group of people, filled with joy knowing I’ll always have a family in Namibia.

Missing my little Marvelous already

After our week in Khorixas, we spent three days camping and going on safaris in Etosha. On our multiple game drives we saw zebras, giraffes, an elephant, cheetahs, lions, rhinos, wildebeests, warthogs, a hyena, and lots and lots of springboks! Following Etosha, we headed even further north to a guest house for the next two nights. Though the previous weeks were incredible, I have never been more happy to see a bed in my entire life. We visited a few museums in the most northern part of Namibia before we made our way to Tsumeb to catch a bus to Victoria Falls for spring break.

Giraffes!

…But before that could happen we had a 9 hour wait for our bus to arrive. As we sat and waited we wondered why everyone was staring, until we realized there was a group of 14 of us sitting in a median under a tree with lots of luggage. To pass the time, we walked to the grocery store, climbed the tree and played cards. Much to our surprise the time passed quickly and we made a mad rush to the bus when we finally saw it arrive. 12 hours later we were at the Namibian/Zambia border and spring break was officially beginning. Another two hours passed and we finally arrived to Vic falls. Most of the group stayed in Zambia for two nights before heading to Zimbabwe but myself and two others went straight to Zimbabwe. Little did we know the walk from the border to the customs office was about a mile or so from the border. Not so bad until you remember you have to carry your 30 pound bag in the heat of the day.

Once we finally arrived to our hostel the activity planning was immediately in order. The hostel we stayed at was absolutely beautiful and just a 15 minute walk from town. Our first night in Victoria Falls we went on a sunset cruise on the Zambezi river, and to add to our list of animals we saw hippos and crocodiles. The next few days included a trip to see the falls, elephant riding, zip lining, and canoeing on the Upper Zambezi. It’s no surprise why Victoria Falls is one of the seven natural wonders of the world. Seeing the millions of gallons of water pour down minute after minute, creating rainbows every where you looked was awe strikingly beautiful. We spent a few hours admiring the falls and got absolutely drenched from the rain the falls created. Knocking one more thing off my bucket list, elephant riding was amazing too. Sam and I rode on a 24 year old girl elephant named Star. She was pretty small compared to the others and had a short trunk because she was attacked by a lion when she was just a baby. After the hour long ride, I got to sit on her leg while she knelt and feed her some pellets. An elephant is a lot more comfortable to ride than you would imagine, and it was a funny feeling when she sucked the pellets through her trunk off of my hand. Of course, nothing compares to skydiving, but zip lining over the gorge was stunning as well. Canoeing down the Zambezi was loads of fun and very peaceful at the same time. Sam and I got caught in a few rapids but it definitely made it more exciting.

A day at the falls

As I sit on the 24 hour bus ride home to Windhoek, I’m sad to say my spring break is coming to an end, but I know it will most likely be the best of my entire life. I look back on these past two and a half weeks with great memories, so many new faces met, and so so so much happiness. I learned so much about myself and the world as a whole especially in my first week with my family. The week I lived with in Khorixas vs. my life in Claremont and Valparaiso are obviously different, but I’ve come to love so many aspects of each. No way of life is better than the other, none right or wrong – just different. It’s hard to believe that a month from today I’ll be in Cape Town. Time to make the most of my last month in Windhoek.

Elephant Ride

Thanks for reading.

Xoxo

Maddy

Ps- since I was gone and not able to post it, here is what my second month looked like:

1 Month Down, 3 More to Love

February 20, 2014 / Maddy Rainaud-Owens / 1 Comment

To live alone with a family for a week that you know very little about is something not many would describe as “comfortable”. At our first homestay in Soweto, each of us were placed with one other CGE student, but not this time. I was picked up by my host mother Johanna last Monday and the adventures began. To say I was nervous would be an understatement, but we were told this was all about stepping out of our comfort zone.. or as I’d describe it.. jumping. As a few hours went by, my nerves quickly subsided as I was welcomed by a lovely family who made me feel right at home. And hey, I can’t complain because I got to eat traditional Namibian food all week, which included eating my weight in pap .. and I’m totally okay with that. (Pap, pronounced pop, is a dish made from the grain mealy meal, which I like to describe as a hybrid between mashed potatoes and rice, totally delicious)

Chicken and some PAP!

Throughout the week my host mom took me back and forth between home and our Center for Global Education (CGE) house for classes or to be taken to my internship. Throughout the week I lived with my host mom, Johanna, host dad, Harris, host cousin, Martin, and host Aunt, Irene. They live in Khomasdal which is a small area in Windhoek. I thoroughly enjoyed the time I got to spend with them, getting to know more about Windhoek and Namibia in general. On Saturday, Johanna and I made a trip to her eldest daughters house who has a 2 year old son and a brand new 1 week old baby. Maybe or maybe not one of the cutest babies I’ve ever seen. Sadly enough, I didn’t bring my camera so I don’t have any photos to show you of the little one. On my last night, I was taught how to make pap which I will definitely be bringing back to the states with me. It was sad to say goodbye to my family, but I’m planning on meeting up with them again before I leave to Cape Town in May.

My Wonderful Host Family

Classes are in full swing here at CGE, and our group is finally realizing that “study abroad” actually entails reading, studying, reading, and some more reading. By far my favorite part of my trip so far is still my internship. Working with the little ones twice a week is great and I love seeing the progress they’re making. I zoned in on one little guy named Johnathan who stole my heart. Cute as a button and quiet as a mouse, I couldn’t stay away for long. While working with Johnathan on his numbers and letters, I began to notice that between each letter or number he wrote, he would look up at me to make sure he was getting it right. I would simply nod and he would smile and go on to the next digit. I quickly fell in love with the little guy, but just yesterday I received the oh so bittersweet news he wouldn’t be returning to FHS but instead would be starting at a new formal school. It’s awesome that he’s moving up in his education, but I’m sad that I won’t be there to see him progress.

Johnathan counting with crayons

Today in our history class, we had the incredible privilege to hear Professor Kerina speak. Mr.Kerina was the first Namibian to travel to the United States for education where he attended Lincoln University. While in college, he spoke with the UN about Namibia’s need for independence as well as obtained personal support from John F. Kennedy when some in Southern Africa were trying to have him deported out of the US. If these weren’t cool enough things Mr.Kerina had done in his life, he also was good friends with Malcolm X and Maya Angelou. He oh so casually talked about his Friday lunches with Malcolm X as everyone in the room looked around at each other dumbfounded. But wait.. he gets even more awesome. He went on to be apart of the creation of SWAPO as well as, wait for it.. wait for it… he named Namibia. Yeah.. you read that right.

Our Group with Mr.Kerina

Things are getting exciting here in Windhoek, and my peanut butter addiction is growing daily. Planning for spring break has begun which entails Victoria falls, white water rafting, elephant rides, walking with lions, bungee jumping, canoeing or a sunset cruise. You mean I have to choose just 2? Swakopmund, Etosha and rural homestays are in our near future, and my first month in Southern Africa is officially complete. So with that, I leave you with a little video I made.. Enjoy!

Thanks for reading and thank you to everyone for your constant support!

xoxo

Maddy

View from the Festung Hohensalzburg

The Cities of Europe! (part 2)

September 2, 2011 / Jake Stefan / 0 Comments

1) Munich, Germany

Theatinerkirche St. Kajetan

While we were staying in St. Johann, we were able to make a couple day trips to visit places like Munich and Salzburg (both within driving distance). Munich is a great city, but it is definitely touristy. But to its credit, we basically only stayed right in the middle of the city and saw all the typical things like the Hofbräuhaus; I’m sure if you wander outside the “tourist-zone” Munich has many great things that aren’t swamped with Americans. The city had a lot of character to it, and it was also home to some of the most amazing gardens and churches! There was also a big market in the Viktualienmarkt, where my brother got some fresh strawberries.

Hofbräuhaus München

Best of: Hofgarten (gardens); Theatine Church; Neues Rathaus (new city hall) Hofbräuhaus (famous restaurant/brewery)
Not so great: lots of tourists

2) Salzburg, Austria

View from the Festung Hohensalzburg

The other excursion we took was to Salzburg. We woke up early and drove into Salzburg hoping to see some things before it got too busy. We started at the Mirabell palace, which has quite extensive gardens. From there we made our way over to Salzburg’s

Mozart's Birthplace

most famous shopping street, Getreidegasse. They had EVERYTHING on this street. From McDonald’s to H&M to high priced jewelry, you name it they had it. The house where Mozart was born is also on Getreidegasse. We wanted to take a tour but the lines were kind of long.

Perhaps the coolest opportunity we had was to see the Festung Hohensalzburg (translates

View from the Festung Hohensalzburg

to: high Salzburg fortress). It was amazing to see a medieval fortress, and the views from the top were spectacular. We walked up to the top (much cheaper than taking the tram), and it wasn’t as bad of a walk as it looks. The price of admission to the fortress also includes entrance to all the museums inside, so if you go it is well worth it to see the princes’ chambers, as well as the torture room/dungeon!

Salzburg also has plenty of amazing churches and lots and lots of concerts. When you walk through the streets you are bombarded with advertisements for concerts. Every night, almost every church in the inner-city has a concert. They are very proud of their connection with Mozart, so a good portion of the concerts have at least a couple works by him. While we were there, my brother and I saw a organ concert at the Franziskanerkirche. It was fantastic (and only 14 Euro a ticket!).

Festung Hohensalzburg

Salzburg at night

Best of: Getreidegasse; Festung Hohensalzburg (fortress); Concerts

3) Heidelberg, Germany

During our travels we also made it to Heidelberg, where we have a lot of relatives! We didn’t get to see much of the city, but we did get a chance to visit with family for a couple days. It was very comforting to know that I have family here in Germany, and that I’m always welcome in their homes. I know I’ll be making at least a few weekend trips out to see them!

Family from Ladenburg, Germany

Family from Mannheim, Germany

4) Zurich, Switzerland

My "I can't believe my coffee was that expensive" face

I’m not sure I can afford to ever go back to Zurich. It was ungodly expensive in the city. To its credit, it was beautiful, but even the cheapest food was unreasonable. My Starbucks Chai Tea Latte (normally 3.25 USD) cost the equivalent of 8.60 USD. For lunch we found an average street café, and it was 70 USD for two beers, a Coca-Cola and a small plate of appetizers. Craziness, I tell you!

Our other mishap in Zurich was with the hotel phone system. We had dropped my brother off at the “Zurich Flughafen” earlier that morning because he had to make it home for school. We wanted to get a hold of him that evening to make sure he made it home okay, so we tried calling using a pre-paid calling card from the hotel phone. We never ended up getting through to him that night, but spent about 4 minutes total on the phone. When we checked out the next morning, the hotel had charged 230 Swiss Francs for our phone calls (about 294.00 USD). Because these charges were absolutely outrageous (not to mention that we were calling a toll-free number within Switzerland) we managed to get the charges down to 20 USD.

I think Zurich was a little pricey – beautiful but very expensive.

Nonetheless, Zurich was pretty

Best of: Bahnhofstrasse (famous shopping street); the lake
Not so great: Expensive

I’ll post soon about some of my adventures in Tuebingen and the local region around Stuttgart!

Bis dann! Tschüß!

Holidays in Mexico Part III: Homeless and No Family but Never Alone!

December 29, 2010 / Lydia Mertz / 1 Comment

Another Christmas has passed. The night before on Christmas Eve, we ate at the house of our friend Josue and his family. My, what a delicious meal we had! The combination of family, laughter and warmth made me feel bittersweet about being away from home but happy to be joining together with this lively family as well. Christmas day didn’t go as glorious as I had hoped but was grateful for the quiet time that was spent with Cynthia and her family. We relaxed, ate (more) food and watched about four hours of “Glee” with Cynthia’s sister Rebecca. Relaxing at Cynthia’s house has been a needed break and I’m grateful for her family’s hospitality.

Now, plans have changed-again (I’m finding this to be very consistent here in Mexico). Cynthia and her boyfriend Martin on their way to the beautiful state of Chiapas. Due to financial circumstances (gotta pay the rent!), I wasn’t able to join them and had to plan my next phase of my “Holidays in Mexico” adventure. The past couple of days consisted of me calling, facebooking and texting friends in either the cities of Cholula (my “hometown” here in Mexico) or in Oaxaca (where I’m currently at).

This is where it’s nice to have friends-lots of kind and warm people. I contacted my friend Casandra and asked if I could stay at her place with her family this week. As I sat on the corner in Oaxaca city, I was homeless for about 10 minutes as Cynthia left and I waited for Casandra and her father to pick me up. It was another phase of my vacation about to begin. Driving to Casandra’s house reminded me so much of my beautiful state of Indiana. Yes, you can take the girl out of the country but can never take the country out of the girl!

Josue’s family Christmas tree…I love it!

Entering the house of Casandra, I met her family members. Note: when a Mexican tells you, mi casa es tu casa (my house is your house)-they literally mean it. Her mother introduced herself as “mama” and enforced the idea that this was my house too. For dinner, we ate rice with chicken in red mole sauce that made me so grateful to have a love for Mexican food. The family kept the conversation rolling as they asked me about more places to visit in Oaxaca, my studies, journeys in Mexico, friends, etc. To end the night, Casandra and her sister Natasha and I finished off the night watching TV-believe me, I was in need of a Will Ferrel comedy.

Technically speaking, during this season, I am homeless (as waiting to move into my apartament in January) and without any biological family members (I doubt I will ever find a long-lost Mexican cousin). It’s been weeks living out of a suitcase and in different homes. I love the anticipation of meeting a friend’s family and wondering what delicious food you’re going to eat or what you’re going to discover about their family and culture. Plus, my Spanish improves dramatically when with families.

However, let’s face it-they’re not your family and you’re not in your country. Despite that, it’s really difficult for me to feel alone here. When I walk into a home never visited and told during an introduction, “this is your home too, visit when you like” or a mother tells me, “my daughter, you are always welcome”, it’s a special thing.

Maybe they’re not my parents or brothers or aunts but I can’t help but feel a part of something and it inspires me to be a better daughter, sister, cousin, niece, granddaughter to my family. Call it an act of faith, but the technicalities of being homeless and without family are irrelevant here-because in fact, I am never alone…ever.

Time to Give Thanks

November 25, 2010 / Julie Johnson / 1 Comment

I can’t believe it’s already Thanksgiving.

Last night, we had our Cambridge Thanksgiving dinner. There were 36 of us in total, and although the house was completely chaotic for the entire preparation and dinner, it was wonderful to be surrounded with all the love and warmth of the people around us.

Happy Thanksgiving, Everyone!

As I mentioned in my earlier Christmas post, I find that this year, I have taken so much more time to reflect on what I’m thankful for. As always, I am thankful for my family. This is the first holiday that I have had to spend without them, and as close-knit as my family is, it’s kind of hard. Even though we’re thousands of miles apart, I’m still thrilled that I will be able to call both sides of my family and be with them in spirit.

Of course, I am thankful for this trip. The opportunities that a semester abroad give you are truly countless. When I leave Cambridge this semester, I will take with me such a variety of cultural experiences that I really can’t get anywhere else. I also am incredibly thankful for everyone in my group, C-86. Over the past few months, we have grown from barely knowing one another to family. I couldn’t think of a better group of people that I would like to live, sleep, eat, and breathe with for four months.

As Oprah Winfrey once said, “Be thankful for what you have; you’ll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don’t have, you will never, ever have enough.” Although it was a hard concept to understand as a child, Thanksgiving is a time to count your blessings, and this year, I know I’m counting mine 🙂

Sometimes I Wonder….

October 11, 2010 / Lydia Mertz / 6 Comments

When abroad, you ask yourself questions-a lot of them. Sometimes, these never-ending questions/thoughts leave you with a headache or absolutely thrilled. It’s easy to brush away them away. However, being honest and acknowleding these questions/thoughts has strengthened my purpose here and who I am as a person.

Sometimes I wonder…

Why did I choose Mexico?
How could I not feel like a million bucks when I have a conversation in Spanish and we understand each other!
Why are three out of my four classes in Spanish? Good Lord, they speak so fast!
Is there anything tastier than a taco from Mexico anytime of the day?
Why is there no Ben and Jerry’s ice cream in Mexico?!!

How exciting is it to meet a handsome Mexican boy who is a gentleman, a skillful dancer and wants to show you his country and get to know you?
Why isn’t there more money?
How can Mexican families stay strong despite a modern world? The strength and unity of the family is everything here.
How could you not be happy in a place where there’s so much color and natural beauty?
Isn’t thrilling knowing I’m living in an area where the Aztecs once ruled? It gives me chills sometimes.

Are you just rude or do you not understand the fact that I am foreign and struggle with your language? Please talk slower like I asked you.
Isn’t the Church of Remedios in Cholula just the most beautiful church ever? I could never stop looking at it.
Do you judge me by my white skin and blonde hair? Not all gringas (girls from the USA) are the same.
Is there anything cooler than celebrating 200 years of Mexico than in the heart of soul of the country, Mexico City?
How much more alive can I feel when I’m salsa dancing?

Isn’t beautiful to wake up surrounded by mountains EVERYWHERE?
What will it be like when I get to the USA? Will it will be weird and awkward?
My parents must be pretty cool to let their only daughter study abroad for four and a half months to another country.
Why are people so narrow-minded about Mexico? Seriously, it’s a rich culture and there’s more than the negative stereotypes.
How can Mexicans be so relaxed and not make exact plans with everything? It’s refreshing for sure, but geez, I don’t get it sometimes!
Mexicans are just about the best people to hang out with and very loyal too.

How did God bless me with this incredible life? A life that I can get to fulfill my dreams of traveling, living in beautiful cultures with people that love and support me. Yes, I love this life!

What are YOUR thoughts/ questions? Post them!

Valpo Voyager

Student Stories from Around the World

Tag: family

Home Away From Home

Finding a Family in Katutura

Mr Egg and the Chinese countryside

Cape Town and Goodbyes

Love, Laughter & Lessons Learned

1 Month Down, 3 More to Love

The Cities of Europe! (part 2)

1) Munich, Germany

2) Salzburg, Austria

3) Heidelberg, Germany

4) Zurich, Switzerland

Holidays in Mexico Part III: Homeless and No Family but Never Alone!

Time to Give Thanks

Sometimes I Wonder….

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