Tag Archives: Cultural Understanding

Mid-terms are over…time to breathe…

Wow, hard to believe that I actually survived this past week. I feel pretty good about almost all of my mid-terms, so it’s a huge relief to be done with them. Now it’s time to plan for finals in 1 1/2 months. But, before I do that, I took some time this past weekend to just relax and walk around some off my favorite areas of the city: Montmartre, Ile Saint Louis and along the Louvre.

I finally figured out how to take pictures with my phone so they don’t come out sideways; I have to turn my phone sideways, in a certain direction. Probably not how it’s supposed to work, but hey, I made it happen so that’s all that matters; it’s just a little bit redneck.

I took some better pictures of the artist’s square and I’m going back next weekend to have a picture drawn of my daughter. It’s actually not a bad price, 60 euros, for an original drawing that is spot-on. I hope she likes it.

Mime was actually the first form of theater and you will find plenty of them around Paris. Montmartre has two regulars that I know of: this one is Paul and he definitely works hard for his money. He had a good-sized crowd this afternoon and he did a bang-up job!

It’s that time of year for the warm chestnut stands to be open. I love these! The chestnuts are delicious and hit the spot when you’re walking around and it’s chilly. Nummy-noms!

Recently, Montmartre had it’s annual wine festival in the streets all day and evening. It was absolutely packed, but there were a ton of wine and champagne vendors and you could walk around and sample the wines and champagnes for anywhere from 1-5 euros. And you got a real glass champagne flute to keep. Was an absolute blast and the night was beautiful. This is me and my friend from school Nadya.

After I left Montmartre, I decided to head down to Les Halles, which is a partially underground shopping mall. The original Les Halles was also underground and began as a horse market in the 12th century. After much degradation and reconstruction, it was finally demolished in 1966 and moved to it’s current location. Now it’s a huge mall with all of the normal mall stores, but it’s fun to walk around and window shop (and maybe buy a few things…). However, I forgot it’s Sunday and almost everything is closed in Paris on Sundays, so I decided to head outside and walk from the beginning of Rue de Rivoli to where I live, which is where the Champs-Elys�es begins. I took this picture of the Louvre because we were just talking about this in my architecture class. The left and right sides of the Louvre were constructed over 100 years apart, but you would never be able to tell. The architects were so precise and so attentive to detail to maintain the symmetry of the building, that it appears it was all built at the same time. Little bit of trivia for you there…:)

If you look closely through the doorway in the center, you can see the glass pyramid that was built by American architect, I.M. Pei. I noticed as I was leaving and thought it was a neat shot. On the other side of that doorway is the main entrance to the Louvre and the big and little glass pyramids.

Well, that was my week, folks. Not very eventful except for the milestone of mid-terms. Whew! This coming weekend we have 5 days off for fall break, so we’ll see where my travels take me.

Toodles for now,

Mary

Location: Paris, France

Summer’s In The Air…

….and it feels absolutely amazing. Despite the school work being loaded on, it can’t get me down. Today, I re-fell in love with New Zealand. Nothing remarkable happened today and yet it was perfect–that’s part of what I think makes NZ so great.

This morning, after losing an hour of sleep to daylight savings, my friend and I made an 8 am grocery run. The streets were absolutely empty. It allowed me to truly appreciate this walk I do so often and all the wonderful stores, boutiques, restaurants, cafes, and seating areas that adorn this walk. I am going to miss this walk so much–the surroundings, the company, the struggle and convenience at the same time. Parnell/Newmarket, where I live, has just the perfect mix of city and small town feeling. As I was grocery shopping, I realized how used to this life I have become; I tend to forget it’s just temporary. As I approach the three month mark, and have a bit over a month left to go, it’s hard not to get preemptively sappy and reflective so I’m constantly reminding myself to live in the present but can’t suppress thoughts of things I’ll miss and things I can’t wait to return to.

As the weather gets even more lovely than I thought it already was, everyone starts to come out a bit more, like summer back home. The streets have random markets, festivals, and tents. Families, couples, teenagers, and kids…everyone’s out and about and it makes me incredibly happy. There are hoards of runners and bikers as well, many in groups; I love how active the Kiwis are.

Anyways, my friends had been planning to go to One Tree Hill, not too far from where we live. But with all this uni work and my anything-but-ideal grades, I knew I should be staying in. Nevertheless, I went outside to say hi to everyone. The sun was shining and the air was just perfect. I knew I couldn’t stay inside on a day like this.

After a bit of internal conflict, I ran back to my flat to pack a backpack and change into some shorts for the bit of a trek that lay ahead. I’m so glad I went. The park was absolutely gorgeous and I’m hoping to run there in the future. All the cherry blossom trees are in full bloom, and a beautiful fountain greeted us into the park. There were tons of people there, but not in the way that I find annoying. The spirit was just fantastic. A huge band was playing so we went around asking people what the occasion was for–no one knew. It was just happening. We saw a bunch of little kids rolling down hills and some “sledding” on cardboard boxes. My friend and I couldn’t resist and cackled like children as we rolled freely down the hill. It was fun to feel carefree for that time I was spinning wildly down the hill with nothing to do but scream and laugh and be one with the other children.

We alas got to the top of One Tree Hill, not without passing some sheep, of course, and came up to a beautiful view of Auckland, the Tasman Sea, and the Pacific. It was awesome to see in one view, water, sheep, a park, a city, and suburbia. I love this city. I would love to find anything like it back home.

Exhausted from the sun and the walking, we took a bus back and got groceries for a BBQ. As I sit hear blogging, stomach full with a delicious strawberry nut Panera-like salad we made, a grilled potato (friends made grilled chicken too), I feel warmed with the feeling of summer.

And it’s just Sunday: A day at home that would just be an ordinary catch-up-on-homework Sunday. While I still have to do that, I’m so glad I went. It was not an epic trip or must-do in Auckland, but something about this just day was absolutely wonderful and made for a great start to the week.

Location: Auckland, NZ

Words do no justice to Delhi’s complex environment

I’m was just sitting inside eating dinner as the maid watched me, unable to eat until I finish. I could see my “Aunty” or the woman who is hosting me outside from the window. It is a full moon tonight so she is outside praying from 8pm to 10pm. Dinner was awkward without her but I texted my friend about a 3am cab ride to the train station that is happening in the morning. I am going to Jaipur, the capital of Rajasthan in the morning.

Anyway, this is my first blog post from Delhi and I wanted to find a way to convey all the emotions I’ve had since I arrived almost 3 weeks ago, but there are just too many things to write about. It is a beautiful, dirty, chaotic, crowded, historic and yet modern metropolitan city with a mix of conservative Indian tradition and western-styled liberalism. In India, Delhi specifically, there is so much to take in; between colorful bazaars, cows walking the highway, angry rickshaw drivers that overcharge you, young homeless children begging for food, and a confusing mix of wildlife and metropolis, I can’t begin to accurately describe the environment. You really can find anything here, including cute vegan-friendly wifi cafes in Hauz Khas Village/Market. This is the spot where I feel most comfortable and “homey” while I study.

Today is also Rakhi, a holiday celebrating brothers as protectors of sisters. On this day, siblings get together and exchange gifts. Sisters give brothers a bracelet tied with a red string that has decorations on it, and brothers give their sisters sweets and presents. As an only child wanting to celebrate the holiday, I found another only child in my abroad program, Jeremy, to be my Rakhi brother.

Pictures are to come, including one from the Taj Mahal with my friend Marnie and a guy who asked to join our photo. The awkwardness is still an ongoing joke between us.

Location: Delhi, India

Thoughts on Leaving, Feelings of Doubt

Recently I have been thinking about how strange and different life will soon be for me. As the number of days left at work dwindle and the final packages of *essentials* arrive in the mail, I am at once exuberant and doubtful. Part of me (and I’ll admit, it is an overwhelming part) is ready to chuck it all and hightail it out of here, as fast as that big ‘ole plane can fly! Another part of me is reluctant to make such a big step, especially one that has seemed little more than a pipe dream for so many years. Perhaps it is the concerned “You’re leaving?!” expressions from patrons and employees at work, with the connotation that I’m being “let go” or maybe it’s the “Oh, we’ll miss you!”, which whilst sweet and heartwarming is likely not the culprit. Rather, I believe it comes from the well meaning but vaguely belittling “…and leave this all behind!” and “…but you’re so good at baking!”. Oh, and let’s not forget “Oh! You’re going to school? This whole time? For what? My goodness?”. Silly rabbit.

I know I am good at what I do. With no formal training I can whip out lovey little confections and decorate them to the nines.

The problem lies not with the job itself. I think other people who dream of being pastry chefs–not that I really consider myself on that level–and go out and do it are great. Really, anytime you can do something you choose is quite an accomplishment. And therein lies the issue: I didn’t choose this line of work. It was simply one short-term job decision, in a long line of short-term, short-sighted, I-need-to-pay-my-rent, decisions. Yes, I enjoy it. Yes, I consider myself talented at it. But it does not bring me joy, not that pervasive, I don’t care about all this other BS that’s going on around me, I can’t wait to go to work today joy. Most days I’m lucky if I can rise above the prickly annoyance I feel for customers who think fifty cents is too much for a muffin or that $1.50 is an outrageous price for a handmade, from scratch pastry. Demoralizing. Maybe I’ve tricked myself in to believing this feeling actually exists in relation to a job. Maybe I’ll never find it. But I have to try.

When I would tell people that I am studying abroad or even for what I am studying abroad (psychology/neuroscience) I get the most shocked expressions. At first I felt extremely insulted, as if these people through their slacked jaws and bulging eyes were judging me unfit for my chosen area of study. I would forcefully haul back the indignation and anger that would spring up out the highly sensitive reaches of my inherently defensive mind.

Then I realized just how defensive I had become…to everything. It was like I was constantly building this arsenal of defensive comebacks just in case someone had an errant comment on why I was in the bathroom or why I dare deign to actually sit down and eat lunch or why I didn’t leap across the counter, floury hands and butter stained knuckles, to help them with that fifty cent muffin. Choice is paramount to my life. And choice of career a very basic need–no, requirement to my life. I am the type of person who cannot separate what I do with who I am. It is not something I like about myself, or my mode of thinking, but I cannot unravel the two. So it follows that if I cannot take pride in or derive more than merely a modicum of pleasure from what I do, then it won’t matter how talented I am it, how easily it comes to me, how quickly I pick it up, or how much I excel at it, regardless of the amount of external praise. I guess what I’m saying is that my defensiveness is merely a result of feeling not in control of my life, my career, my decisions, my choices. And helplessness is an ugly bedfellow.

Life is about Choice. You make the choices that define your life. If you feel like flotsam and jetsam simply being tossed across the sea, then perhaps you must examine your choices or look to where you failed to choose, only to be swept away with the waves always threatening to drown you. If I drown now, and I very well might, at least I’ll go down knowing that I made a Choice, one that is focused on life in its long, winding, glorious beauty and in which I have set the short-sighted ones aside for paths undiscovered, far from the only roads I’ve ever known.

Location: Lancaster, PA

Shoveling the bus out of…sand?

G’day Mates

The next two days were spent at my favorite destination: Coral Bay and Ningaloo Reef. This area is home to one of the largest and most diverse reefs on the western coast of Australia. Coral bay offers a variety of activities such as riding ATV’s along the coast and through the desert, snorkeling with diverse wildlife on a glass bottom boat, and even swimming with whale sharks. While some of our group chose the latter, I decided to take the glass bottom boat tour. Funny thing about choosing this tour is that I almost didn’t get a chance to go on it.

Since our tour started at noon, our fearless leader Craig decided he wanted to take the bus out for an adventure on some ATV trails. He had never been out there so he wanted to take a look. Having plenty of time, a group of us went along for the ride. About 10 miles out we enter the course and it is pretty rough. The bus had to climb some large boulders and bounce along a bumpy, rocky road. The path took us to a deserted coastal access road. We round a corner and find ourselves sliding down a very steep sand dune toward the water. We are well short of the coast but we find ourselves stuck in about 2 feet of sand. For about two hours we try desperately to push the bus free but without any luck. In this situation we found out a very true Australian cultural value. When Australians are stuck in a situation where they need help, they would rather die than call someone to come and get them. And that’s pretty much what we did. It was a searing 105 degree day and the flies were hungry. Eventually Craig did call but since it was Easter weekend, no one answered. After about a half hour, we finally got the bus out by ripping out bushes and placing them under the tires (sorry Mother Nature). With minutes to spare we made it to the boat for our afternoon trip. As Nick always says “It’s not the times you are lounging around on the beach or eating a fancy meal that you remember, it’s always the times that things go wrong which make which make the best stories.”

Exhausted from pushing a bus all day, we finally got to relax, feel the cool breeze, and see some amazing things on our glass boat tour. Almost like watching TV, the glass bottom boat provided a clear image of the ocean below as turtles, sea cucumbers, and even a shark appeared beneath the glass. The boat had an upper deck which was perfect for getting a good view of the wild life. At one point we got to go snorkeling in an area known for sharks, and yes, I did swim with a shark! I don’t think I will ever forget the feeling of swimming near something you know has the power to kill you and yet is so hard to take your eyes off of. It was an incredible experience that words cannot describe. This is the kind of thing I’ve always dreamed of doing and it was why I wanted to come to Australia. This day was one of the most action-packed days of my life, experiencing up and downs and sharks along the way.

Nurse Shark

Sea Turtle

Captain Andrew at the helm

Location: Coral Bay, Australia

Why’s everybody always sittin’ on me?

G’day Mates

Day Three on my adventure was spent at Monkey Mia (I don’t know where the name came from, there were no monkeys). Still weary from the previous day, I arrived at Monkey Mia, a local vacation destination with various activities. At Monkey Mia an amazing natural occurrence takes place every morning. Wild dolphins come to shore on their own free will and accept fish from the local zoologists. It was quite a site to see half a dozen or so dolphins glide up to shore and slowly swim back and forth, obviously showing off to gain everyone’s attention. The zoologists made it clear that they could only feed the dolphins one fish a day and have minimal contact with them in order for the dolphins to remain self reliant in the wild.

Dolphins at Monkey Mia

After the dolphin feeding there were many activities to choose from. I chose to take a boat cruise on the ARISTOCRAT 2 to view the aquatic life. After Nick and I helped raise the sail (kind of), we were able to see dugongs, sea turtles, and the crowd favorite dolphins. The Dolphins came right up to the front of the boat and swam in front of the bow like something out of a movie. There was also a net behind the boat which I road in. It had a tendency to knock off various items of swimwear and I’ll have you know that I was a victim as well. After a freeing ride in the net, we docked back at Monkey Mia.

Nick and I hard at work

Titanic starring Jeff and Andrew

Later that afternoon we visited various landmarks such as Eagles Bluff and Shell beach. Eagles bluff provided an amazing view of the cliffs lining the Indian Ocean. Shell beach, as the name conveys, is a beach made completely of tiny shells. Our scare of the day is when we were greeted by a friendly water snake, which from what I’ve heard is one of the most poisonous snakes in the world. The funny thing is its teeth are so far down its throat, a bite would have no effect unless it swallowed your whole hand.

A sand bar made entirely out of shells. It extended about 500 yards into the middle of the ocean.

View from Eagle’s Bluff

The Men

Our evening was finished off with cards, some delicious stir fry and an evening of star gazing out on the Jetty.

Location: Monkey Mia, Australia, Western Australia

Tent Wars!

G’day Mates!

After a two week period of exams, I was off to the outback. Our group was made of 12 Americans, a German, and an Alaskan (a joke made on our trip). Craige, our fearless leader, was the tour guide for Australian Adventure Travel and knew just about anything about Australia and the outback.

Our Ride

The trip lasted 10 days where for the first 5 days we stopped at various landmarks along the coast and the second 5 days we traveled inland to visit the true outback and national parks. Each day we made delicious sandwiches for lunch with the traditional Australian ingredients of corn, beans, and beets. Every night we would set up camp and start in on dinner. It was really a cool experience because everyone would jump in to help every night, so it was almost like a family dinner.

Meal Preparation

At night we would set up our tents. Dave, Nick, and I were the best at making tents so it was only natural for us to shack up together. Each morning we woke up at 6:30 and began our day over again.

A Perfect Tent

On our first day we drove through Geraldton en route to our campsite at Northampton. Our first stop was at a World War II memorial for the HMAS Sydney II that was sunk off the coast of Australia by a German cruiser.

We set up camp at Northbrook Farmstay where we threw some steaks and sausages on the bar-b for dinner. Day two we headed for Shark Bay Heritage area and on the way we stopped at a few beautiful cliffs and gorges including the natural arch rock formation in Kalbarri National Park and Murchison River Gorge.

Natural Arch, Kalbarri National Park

Murchison River Gorge

The flies here were almost unbearable as they ate our lunch as fast as we could prepare it. We ended the day at Hamlin Pool where we saw our first wild kangaroos after an evening stroll. Also near this camp were the Hamlin Pool stromatolites.

The stromatolites didn’t look like anything more than rocks to me but apparently they are the oldest living things on earth.

Location: Northampton, Australia, Hamelin Pool, Australia

Bali Adventure Part 4

My final two days in Bali were planned around the Balinese New Year or the Day of Silence. On their New Years Eve, there is a large festival with a parade to celebrate the Hindu Gods. Each village creates a hand carried float of a certain god. Each float is very unique and most of them tell a story with vibrant colors and figures. At dusk, each village marches toward the capital of Denpasar and a huge parade line is started. After the parade, everyone parties until 6 a.m. On the actual Day of Silence, people are not allowed to have lights or fires, all types of work are banned, and there is no travel. The day is to be a day of meditation; reflecting on the past year, forgiving others, and planning for the future. I was told the reason everyone stays inside is because the Hindu equivalent to the devil goes out during this day and walks the streets looking for people. If he doesn’t find anyone, he goes away and doesn’t return until next year. From this explanation, I can definitely see why people stay inside. As outsiders, we were forced to stay in the hotel. This made for a very quiet ending to an amazing trip.

Location: Bali, Indonesia

Food!

I figured I should dedicate an entire blog on food around Europe. Let’s be real, it’s one of our favorite things about traveling. I didn’t get pictures of everything I ate, though I wish I did so I could show you all of them. But, to be honest half the time I was so hungry or so excited to ear that taking the time to get a picture did not even cross my mind. But anyways, here are some of my favorite foods.

Florence/ Italy:

Of course, most people think of Italy as the “food capital of the world.” I’d have to agree considering the first thing you associate with Italy is bread, olive oil, cheese, pizza, pasta, etc. I figured I’d give some advice for people who are planning to study or at least visit. The overall favorite panini place of us study abroad students is I Due Fratellini. It’s the best whole-in-the-wall panini place and it only costs 2.50-3 euro. It is also on the same street as the “Jersey Shore Pizza Place” which is also good. You may also be wondering where on earth to get gelato considering there are hundreds in Florence. My favorite is “Gelateria di Neri” on Via dei Neri. If you want a not-so-typical gelato flavor, get Pistachio. For some reason they are big on pistachio flavored things here. It is GOOD.

London:

London isn’t really known for its cuisine, but they are big on fish and chips. I am generally not a seafood person whatsoever, but fish n chips is my exception. We went to the “Sherlock Holmes Restaurant” near Trafalgar Square. Also, if you are visiting London and crave a little sense of home, there are in fact 2 Chipoltles in London. Of course, we took advantage of that.

Spain:

Spain is known for its “Paella.” If you don’t know what it is, Paella is essentially a dish of rice and either seafood, vegetables, or chicken. Also, their concept of tapas is pretty interesting. It is basically a bunch of smaller dishes that you share between your table.

Portugal:

Believe it or not, the two best pasta dishes I have had were in Portugal. Just want to give them credit, because you would probably generally not think that Portugal would master pasta dishes.

France:

Let’s just say, being abroad made me go out of my comfort zone. This was no different when it came to the food. In France I tried duck, one of its specialties. I’m glad I did because it was actually really good. It was just like steak just a little more tender. For dessert, you must try Macaroons. They are hard to describe, but they are more like a pastry with a sugary filling in between the two layers. They kind of look like colored hamburgers. My favorite is of course, Pistachio.

Germany (Munich):

Of course, Germans are really into the thick meats like Bratwurst and things like that. I am not a read thick meat type of person, so I got Spaetzel noodles. They are basically macaroni and cheese with fried onion bits in it. It was soooo good. I’m not sure if it’s a common German dish or just a Hofbrauhaus thing. Regardless, you have to make it to the famous Hofbrauhaus brewery in Munich.

Location: Florence, Italy

Carnival of Venice

Venice!

Back in February, my roommates and I decided to spend a day in Venice for its annual Carnival. It usually starts 40 days before Easter and ends on Fat Tuesday (the Day before Fat Wednesday). Masks have always been the central feature of the Venetian Carnival. We went to the San Marco square where the majority of the celebration was going on. People dressed up in the craziest masks and full on costumes. I even saw a person dressed as Jack Sparrow, which made me laugh. Of course, no matter what time of the year you are in Venice you must shop for Venetian glass! I got a pretty pair of purple glass earrings, but they have all kinds of things. You can buy glass old-fashioned perfume bottles, shot glasses, jewelry, and picture frames, among others. Also, Venice is the first place you usually think of when you hear of Gondolas. I fulfilled one of the many items on my bucket list by going on a Gondola ride. It was VERYY cold when we went, especially because this winter was the coldest winter Italy has faced in 25 years. But, it was still perfect. It was 25 euro for about 30 minutes. It was so worth it, especially because it was nighttime and we could see the light shining off of the water. If you get a chance, definitely do it. We went with a tour group so we could only spend the day there. However, If I had more time I definitely would have gone back during the semester. It is a really cute town and a good place to walk around and appreciate its quaintness.

Location: Venice, Italy

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