Monthly Archives: April 2011

Are you REALLY an American?

I have never felt as Hispanic as I feel in Brazil. This might come off as a bit strange, but it is true. Back at home I only speak the Spanish language with my family. Most of my friends are not Hispanic and therefore I almost never embrace my Hispanic side. Here in Brazil, I speak Spanish with a lot of students who come from countries such as Mexico, Spain, Costa Rica, Nicaragua and Columbia.

What makes me feel like my Hispanic roots have flourished more is not only speaking the language, but the Brazilian culture itself. Every time I tell people I am an American, I get bombarded by phrases such as “You look Brazilian!”, “Where are you REALLY from?”, “You have Latin American influence right?”,”Do you speak Spanish?”, “I don’t believe you” and so on. At that point I explain my Hispanic roots and people feel more comfortable simply calling me Honduran or Salvadoran (representing the countries where my parents are from), instead of calling me an American. There are many notions and images of what a “typical” American should look like. I can’t complain though. It saves me from being called a gringa. Besides what people perceive me as, the Brazilian culture is a lot closer to my family life than the typical American culture. Latin beats in music, the love to dance, close-knit families and very embracing people is what come to mind when I think of my own family’s culture and it is what I get here so I feel like I finally have thoroughly explored my Hispanic roots. I feel quite happy with this fact. It’s a world that’s different yet similar to me and I’m glad to be experiencing it.

My mother told me my face looked like it was glowing today. I told her that that is what happens when you are indescribably happy and content with life.

Location: Fundacao Getulio Vargas, Sao Paulo, Brazil

It’s All Greek to Me

Ever since I decided that I was going to study abroad in Europe, one of my most desired travel destinations was Athens. Last weekend, I fulfilled my wish as I got to spend 3 days and 2 nights in this amazing ancient Greek city.

Friday

Getting to Athens from Italy is notoriously difficult. As such, even though we had no class on Friday and I was done at 1:00 P.M. Thursday afternoon, I had to wait until Friday morning to fly out of Milan. Arriving in Athens Friday afternoon to a projected forecast of rain, I took a bus from the airport (only 5 euros!) and headed to my hostel, which was conveniently located at the base of the Acropolis. Due to the poor forecast and the fact that most tourist sites close anywhere from 3:00 P.M. to 5:00 P.M. in Athens, I decided to circle the Acropolis and walk around Plaka, a famous and interesting shopping district located directly below the Acropolis.

Relieved that the weather was holding off, I walked to the top of Mars’ Hill and was treated to my first breathtaking panoramic view of Athens.

As an incredibly old city (obviously), the houses and buildings are an interesting combination of European and Middle Eastern styles. Composed mostly of the signature block materials seen in the Middle East, but containing the trademark red roofs of typical European architecture, the city’s history unfolds before your eyes as you gaze over its sprawling housing projects.

Walking through Plaka is one of the best ways to experience authentic Greek culture. This Athenian district contains an endless number of shops (mostly selling jewelry, antiques, tapestries, or souvenirs), gyro shops, Greek food stands, and restaurants, all while being surrounded by and intertwined with hundreds of ancient ruins. Although many of the shops and restaurants in this area are incredibly touristy, the unmistakable feel for the city and culture is quite evident from this section of town. Deciding to sample the local food in this area, I ate dinner at a small hole-in-the-wall restaurant and had the best gyro I’ve ever had.

Saturday

Since I had only a shortened weekend in Athens, I needed to make the most of Saturday. Therefore, since access to the Acropolis started at 8:30, and I was staying 2 minutes from it, I woke up at 7:30, ate breakfast (which was the stellar combination of hard-boiled eggs and toast as provided by my hostel), and headed to this historic site when it opened. When visiting the Acropolis, you purchase a ticket that gives you access to the top of the Acropolis, the Theatre of Dionysus, the Acropolis Museum, and all of the structures and sanctuaries located on the slopes of this giant plateau. However, by showing a student ID, access to every Greek monument is completely free!

Entering from the gate located in front of the Acropolis Museum, I immediately came to the Theatre of Dionysus. As the theatre that showcased the debuts of the famous ancient Greek plays written by Sophocles, Euripides, and Aeschylus, it was hard not to be impressed by not only it’s intricate construction, but its durability to survive over 2,000 years. Next, I came to the Herrod Atticus, the most famous and ancient outdoor theater in Athens. Still used as an amphitheater for modern concerts, this theater is amazing for its size and beautiful architecture. Its shows are supposedly one of the top things to do in Athens, but, unfortunately, these shows are only shown in this venue in the summer.

Finally, I reached the stairway up to the Acropolis and made my accent to this summit of this storied plateau. When I think of Athens, I immediately visualize this “Sacred Rock” dominating the city’s skyline and symbolizing the greatness that was the ancient Greek society and culture. Despite these high expectations, I was still amazed by the sheer size and beauty of the numerous solid marble temples, sanctuaries, and structures on top of this hill. The obvious main attraction here is the Parthenon. Despite its half-destructed state and numerous alterations from being made into both a Christian basilica and an Islamic mosque throughout its history, you can still visualize this giant structure in all its glory as it was countless centuries ago. One of the first people to reach this site that morning, I was allowed to enjoy the serene calm atop this rock and appreciate the true genius that allowed the ancient Greeks to both construct it and develop the technology needed to do so. Also atop the Acropolis are the Temple of Athena Nike and the Erechtheion, two impressive holy temples that are definitely worth seeing when visiting Athens.

After leaving the top, I walked across the slopes of the Acropolis and down to the Ancient Agora. Similar to the Roman Forum, this was the most important section of the city when the Greek civilization was at its peak. A place where business was conducted, worship was completed, sacrifices were made, and even home to the Library of the ancient emperor Hadrian, the Agora contains countless ruins of buildings that have long since fallen down. Walking through this area truly provides an idea of what the Ancient city of Athens looked like on daily basis and how the citizens really lived and interacted.

After the Ancient Agora, I visited the Athens Central Market. Featuring long lines of hanging cured meats, piles of seafood (including whole fish, squid, octopus, crabs, lobster, and eels), and endless stacks of seasonings in clear plastic bags, this market was a cool way to become incorporated within the food culture of Greece. I ate lunch at a gyro stand within the market and sampled some nuts within the market for lunch.

Next, I decided to walk to Lycabettus Hill, the highest point in Athens. When going to Athens, it is definitely worth the relatively steep climb up this hill (there is also a tram you can take up if you are feeling lazy or aren’t able to walk) to get an incredible overlook of the city, including the Acropolis. Plus, in the true spirit of capitalism, there is a vendor waiting at the summit ready to sell you a bottle of water for an outrageous price! Next, I took the metro back to the Acropolis and walked to the Temple of Olympian Zeus. This temple is located next to Hadrian’s Arch (also an impressive example of Greek architecture) and is placed in the middle of a giant grass field. Although you can’t really get close to the ruins because they are roped off, it is still amazing to see the craftsmanship and skill of the Ancient Greeks. Once the largest temple in Athens, all that survives are two small sections of marble columns, but the large space allows you to appreciate the magnificence of its former state.

After the temple, I walked over to Filopappos Hill, located next to the Acropolis and featuring several ruins and overlooks of the city, then the famous Panathenaic Stadium, home to the several famous athletic games in Ancient Greece and the first modern Olympics to finish my day.

Sunday

Since my flight wasn’t until the afternoon, I had the morning to see the sights I was not able to get to the previous day. First thing in the morning, I went to the Acropolis Museum, which contains what is left of the actual statues in the sanctuaries and temples on the Acropolis (the ones on the actual monuments are replicas). Despite the many interesting pieces in this museum, it is sad that so many statues are missing. Centuries ago, during times of turmoil within the Greek government, British historians and collectors claimed them and took them back to the UK, where they still reside today. Then, as my last stop in Athens before returning to Milan, I took the metro to the Piraeus, the main port of Athens. When going to Athens, it is definitely not necessary to take this long trip, as the port was pretty standard and not nearly as impressive as those of Monte Carlo, Barcelona, or Venice.

Travel Tips:

Stay at Athens Backpackers. It is rated the #1 Hostel in Athens for a reason.

Make sure and validate your metro and bus tickets. Fines for not doing so are 60 times what the fare rate is!

Take some time to simply walk around areas like Plaka to get a true feeling of what Athens is and how its citizens live.

The younger crowd in Athens is found in Gazi or Pfsiri.

Location: Athens, Greece

The Two-Week Crunch: Anxious Excited or Anxious Nervous?

I’ve just started my last week of classes, which means next week is finals. And the following week I will return back to the good ol’ USA for the first time since 2010. It’s time for the two-week crunch as I’ve called it. A last ditch effort to get everything out of London I can in two weeks while also putting a ton of effort into those finals to make sure the grades stick.

When I first set in foot in London, I had instant culture shock that I thought I could never get over. Now, I’m pretty used to life in London, whether it’s hitting Tesco’s to grab a chicken wrap and bag of crisps or heading to a pub with friends for a quick pint between studies. I’ve made some friends that I will keep for the rest of my life. Some go to Penn State so I can see them every now and then during my senior year. My closest friends live in Boston, Connecticut, California, and Washington respectfully, so keeping in contact won’t be the easiest. But, Facebook definitely will help and I know that the friends I’ve met here will be around for a long time.

Right now, my classes are killing me. I’ve had a lot of work to get done and still have four final exams to go before I can go home. And since my grades transfer, everything I turn in is at the utmost importance. I”m definitely feeling the pressure, especially after working hard and receiving some grades that weren’t completely satisfying. It’s a different league in terms of schooling- professors definitely expect a lot from us and it’s been difficult for me adjusting, kind of like the transition from high school to college was. But, even if my grades aren’t straight A’s and I receive a grade I didn’t want, I will still be taking what I learned here back at home. I feel that my work ethic has improved tremendously and even though I felt these classes were extremely difficult at times, it will make completing my senior year at Penn State a little easier (or simpler rather).

But enough about the classes. What about London?

The image I had of London was from photos in magazines or movies like The Parent Trap, so quite romantic. But, London is a modern international hub that was overwhelming at first but now is quite pleasant. I love living in a place that is accepting of everyone and anyone; I feel like anyone can easily belong here. I’ve seen and been to a bunch of places so far: Harrod’s, Big Ben, The London Eye, Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle, Picadilly Circus, Hyde Park, and the Tower of London to name a few. But, I still need to check out Abbey Road, Kensington Gardens, Covent Garden, Portebello Road among others. It’s virtually impossible for me to see everything in London; it’s like New York City in that respect.

But even without the major sites, I’ve taken a lot out of London. The theatre district, an icebar (pictured above), the BFI, the East End Markets on a Sunday, walking down the King’s Road every day, learning how to use and appreciate the Tube, the Double Decker buses, the nightlife… everything.

Now, I’m getting ready for my return. Back to the land where I can drive my huge gas-guzzling SUV, watch television again with a DVR, use the data on my iPhone, and see my friends and family yet again. But, I don’t know how to approach these next long two weeks. Anxious is the word, but is it more excited or nervous like Lindsay Lohan asked in The Parent Trap. Sure, I am nervous about my finals (especially for the borderline ones), but I would say as she did, “Anxious excited; definitely.”

Location: Manresa Road, Chelsea, London, UK

Quick Update

Everything has been a bit hectic lately. Traveling, essay writing, and classes are kicking my butt right now.

Two weekends ago I was in London. It was a beautiful weekend. Our hostel was amazing, and we met some pretty cool people. My favorite part was the Harry Potter tour and the Duck Tour (seriously, if you haven’t ever done a Duck Tour, do it! Totally worth it).

This past weekend I was in the Ring of Kerry, and again, the weather was incredible. We went to some cliffs, the beach, learned how to play Gaelic football, etc. I will do two separate posts for photographs, I just need to write this one essay first. I leave for Sweden on Thursday, so I have to get this essay done by (hopefully) Tuesday night. Then I have a project I need to start, as well. Phew.

Then it’s Sweden, final, Italy, final, final, final, week, home.

TIME IS SERIOUSLY FLYING.

Oh, and I also wanted to start some sort of list for words they use here:

1. Savage

2. Grand

3. Langers (drunk)

4. Thanks a million

5. Ending sentences with “like” — “I was at the gym, like.”

6. Cheers (thank you)

7. Alright, love. Thanks, love. LOVELOVELOVE.

8. Biscuit = cookie

9. Chips = fries

10. “Tree” = 3. (My conversation with an Irish guy went like this: “Say three.” “Tree.” “Okay, what is that tall thing growing out of the ground?” “A tree.” “Exactly.”)

I will add to the list later :]

Cheers,

Melanie

Location: Limerick, Ireland

Normandy!

This weekend I went to Normandy with 40 other people in my program. IES took students for two full days and one night to Caen, Asnelles and Arromanches.

I arrived in Caen on Friday morning and went right to the Peace Memorial and Museum right in Caen. The museum recounted the history of World War I, World War II and the Cold War. I watched videos on how different war crafts were made and on the lives of various important war heroes. The cold war exhibit included the different aircrafts that the United States used in fighting against the communists. There were also really cool examples of leisure activities, cars and appliances and how they differed between the United States and communists. After the exhibit, Geneva and I walked around the Memorial Garden around the museum.

After lunch at the museum, I saw a memorial film of the people who died during the Holocaust and World War II in France. Then, I saw a short film about D Day and the Battle of Normandy. These two historical events interest me the most so it was awesome to learn about it while IN Normandy!

We stayed right on Gold Beach, one of the beaches occupied by Germans where the British fleet attacked, in Asnelles, Normandy. We settled in, spent some time on the beautiful beach and then had an amazing dinner: a quiche to start followed by duck and potatoes, then cheese and salad, then an apple tart for desert. After dinner, we had a free night so my friends and I just explored the beach and area more. Then we found the only bar/restaurant on the beach and met some really friendly locals.

The next day, we went to Arromanches and visited the Landing Museum. The museum tour showed us the ports and amazing docks and bridges that the United States and Great Britain designed and built in order to attack and defend themselves and the French during the Battle of Normandy and D Day. The British actually sunk 15 of their own ships in order to keep the waves away from their newly built ports. Over 150 blocks the size of 1000 football fields was built to defend against the Germans.

After the tour, I went exploring more of Gold Beach at Arromanches and took some amazing pictures of the beach and the rest of the exhibit. It was truly amazing to witness the platforms and ports still existing after the battle.

Our last stop was the American cemetery at Omaha Beach. Omaha Beach is considered American land because it was given to the United States as a gift and a place to bury and remember all of those who fought and died on D Day and throughout the Battle of Normandy. The cemetery and beach were two of the most tranquil and beautiful places I have ever seen and it was amazing to personally witness and stand in front of hundreds of American heroes.

Here are some pictures of my time at Normandy…

redrawing the globe and the different borders after World War I

English World War II propaganda

Hydrogen bomb used by the US during the Cold War

Me at the Memorial Garden

Sunset at Gold Beach!

The remains of the British port from the Battle of Normandy at Gold Beach

Just a lovely view from above

Sitting where British and American soldiers landed in 1944!

Just a section of the American Cemetery at Omaha Beach

Carlene and me on Omaha Beach

Location: Normandy, France

Spring time in Paris

Last week was the first week of spring and Paris is more beautiful than ever! I love spending the days by the Seine River, walking through the Marais, watching the sunset outside the pyramid of the Louvre and just wondering around exploring the city in 60 degree weather.

The second to last Thursday was Saint Patrick’s Day, but Parisians don’t celebrate it. However, the Irish and Americans living in Paris definitely do. I was walking by Chatelet around dinner time on Thursday wearing a celebratory hat and three different French people asked me if it was Saint Patrick’s Day.

I have just been relaxing this week, not doing too many touristy things, but taking in real Parisian life in the spring time. Here are some pictures of my life….

Laying along the Seine River, I had a distant view of the Eiffel Tower and was right in front of Musee d’Orsay!

Also, this weekend I went to Normandy, I will post all about it with pics in my next blog entry!

I only have a month left, so this week I am planning on doing EVERYTHING PARISIAN. This week: Catacombs, climbing Notre Dame, The Saint Denis Basilica and hopefully more, along with going out every night to experience the last of my Parisian social and night life.

Location: Paris, France

Relaxed.

This was the first week since I’ve been here that I haven’t traveled on the weekend outside of Perth. It was nice to relax and write postcards and just lounge around. I found out that Oprah was Australia earlier in the year. To the Aussies this was a really big deal, now there’s going to be a lot of American Tourists.

On Saturday I ran through a part of King’s Park, around sunset, which was really calm and peaceful. Saturday night I ate at McDonalds (they call it Maccas) for the 1^st time. Sadly there’s no dollar menu here, a Big Mac was $4.85. Also Subway’s foot-longs are $7 instead of $5. It’s so weird that everything here closes so early. On Friday’s almost all the shops downtown close at 5 and public transportation stops running at midnight. They don’t have any Wal-Mart’s so the only thing open 24/7 are the gas stations.

Its coming up on 2 months since I’ve been here, hard to believe. The weather is finally starting to cool off a little, its been in the high 80’s in the day and around 70 at night. The upcoming weeks are going to be busy, I have 2 exams and 2 papers due before Easter break starts on April 22^nd.

Location: Perth

Byron Bay and Blue Mountains

Wow, so it’s been a busy past couple of weeks. Last weekend a few girls and I went to Byron Bay and the Gold Coast and it was GREAT to get out of the big city (even though Gold Coast is a pretty big city too, but we spent a total of 8 hours there so it doesn’t really count). If you’re thinking about going to Australia at all, then I would definitely recommend staying at Byron Bay for a few days. The vibe is very relaxed and kind of hippy-ish, but it’s amazing. We stayed at Nomad’s Hostel and it was packed with people around our age, mostly from Europe. They had tons of organized events like flip cup tournaments and the hallways were always busy with people. The beach was absolutely BEAUTIFUL and we even went kayaking for most of Saturday afternoon. It was just a very beautiful and relaxing few days. The night before we left we drove back to the Gold Coast/Surfer’s Paradise put our stuff down in the hostel, and literally went straight out until 4 in the morning, a necessary evil considering our flight was at 6 am (since it was by far the cheapest). We figured it would just be easier to stay out and go straight to the airport. Well, the bar we went to was huge and had 3 big rooms that each played a different genre of music. That’s where the cool part ended; the patrons of the club, I swear, came STRAIGHT from the Jersey Shore. I felt like I was home and it was BIZARRE. If you’re going to the Gold Coast, maybe try to stay for longer than I did and check it out a little more because that’s the only impression I got from it.

beach at byron ^^

THIS WEEKEND was an entirely different change of pace. For our CLASS Outdoor Education, we went on a 3 day hiking trip to the Blue Mountains. The whole weekend I couldn’t believe that I was there for a class, it was absolutely amazing. Before we got there we had a little hike around the tourist-y area, which a bunch of us have already done with IES. However, this time at the end we climbed up the “infamous 1,000 steps.” IT WAS EXTREMELY DIFFICULT but we pulled through and were rewarded with an amazing view of the whole canyon at the top. That night we sat around a campfire and went around and said what we learned from the treacherous steps or how we felt about the day and the weekend, and it was great to get to know everyone a little better, not to mention the view of the stars was absolutely amazing. I’ve NEVER in my life seen so many. There was actual milky way galaxy and the whole sky seemed to be illuminated with millions of diamonds. I’ve never seen anything that amazing!

The next day we started out the hike at the very top of the canyon and worked our way down a very steep slope. It took in all about an hour. Then we walked along the valley for about an hour and a half and had lunch in the middle of a river and a water fall, again it was absolutely amazing. THEN it was the absolute most hardest journey ever. We pretty much went straight uphill for 3000 feet and 10 km!!! Literally we were scaling cliff edges and climbing up ladders. There were so many waterfalls that we walked under along the way and the views were absolutely incredible and made the whole thing so worth it. It really taught me that you may have a destination in mind, but sometimes the journey is just as important, and you should always remember to stop and have a look around along the way. Also, the feeling at the top of that mountain was the greatest sense of accomplishment I’ve ever felt.

Today we did a shorter hike, but it also involved climbing all the way down the mountain, having lunch at a magnificent waterfall, and then climbing all the way back up. The stairs were much steeper than the first day, but after completing the mega hike the night before, it didn’t seem so bad. The view was just as spectacular, as well.

This weekend was actually amazing. It was so nice being isolated from my phone and the internet and just experiencing the great outdoors. I can now check off “climb a mountain” off my bucket list, and surely it won’t be my last time. I’ll finish this post off with a few pictures from this weekend =)

Halfway up the 1,000 steps on the first day

Some friends at the waterfall, bottom of the valley, right before the ascent.

Boy band poses at the top – pure bliss. Also the woman on the very left in the blue is our professor for this “class.”

Our hike today included scaling this rock cliff and we also crossed over this waterfall a few times. Again, absolutely breathtaking. It concluded at the top of the waterfall.

Location: Byron Bay, Blue Mountains

More pics

Elephants in Amboseli National Park swamps

Travelling Lecture about management challenges in Amboseli National Park

Location: Kimana, Kenya

Swedish

Since January, I have been enrolled in a Swedish language course, to try to pick up some of the sayings and a little of the language. The class recently ended with a huge exam on friday. Apparently, every single year, all the PSU students fail the exam multiple times due to its extreme difficulty (the test demands that you know pretty much the entire language in 2 and a a half short months). My goal this year was the be the first PSU student to pass the exam, and not have to sit at the retake.

Studying for the exam was not only about reviewing the books and notes from class for me… I decided to take on a different method for practice. For about a week or two before the exam, I went to local cafes, sat in the train station and walked down the street just listening to people speak swedish. I remembered from my childhood that learning french was most successful for me when I was exposed to the language and put into a vulnerable situation. I would go to the store and attempt to order in Swedish, and I would listen to what was said to me and try to figure out how to respond. Overall, I took it upon myself to simply LISTEN and learn from the culture around me.

All in all, I would say that this method proved to be very successful. I found the test to be easier than I thought, and although I am still waiting for my results, I am fairly confident that my grade will be a good one. The biggest challenge of any foreign language is to break through the primary barrier of feeling insecure and just let yourself be immersed in the language. You truly cannot be afraid to TRY speaking the language, and as soon as you let yourself go and allow yourself to learn, you will put yourself in the position for success. A lot of my friends hated learning Swedish. They saw it as a waste of time, and chose not to pay attention, or even try to study for the exam. They figured that when they failed, they could retake it until they passed. I, however, took a different approach. I went to every class (with the exception of one, where I happened to be quite sick), and took notes. I also practiced outside of class, and took all opportunities to use the language. Even if my grade forces me to retake the exam, I feel as though I have passed regardless, because I allowed myself to learn. Now, I can say with confidence, that I can speak a little Swedish, and I could probably get through any daily conversation, still risking of course a few mistakes here and there.

Until next time: fred, k�rlek och svenska. (peace, love and swedish) 🙂

Location: jonkoping, sweden

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